Depression is one of the many psychological disorder that a person can have. While it’s a psychological issue at the core, it can have physical manifestations as well. While it’s not proven that senior citizen are more prone to depression, there’s still a link between advancing age and depression. Old people can indeed get depressed, and depression is a serious disease that warrants immediate treatment. Depression can singlehandedly destroy the quality of the life of any person, so it’s not to be taken lightly.
What you first want to do if you suspect depression is to consult a doctor, and ask for diagnosis. The symptoms of depression are widely known and intuitive to grasp – if you feel like life has no purpose, if you feel pervasive sadness most of the time, if you struggle to motivate yourself to get out bed in the morning… then the case very well may be that you have depression. Consult a doctor immediately.
If you’re diagnosed with depression, then you may start with treatment. Depending on the severity of the condition the doctor may recommend to you a dose of medication that will help you manage and cure your disease. Be sure to diligently follow the recommendations of the doctor as this may spell the difference between the disease being cured, or not.
Next, you might want to introduce a change in some of your life’s habits. You’ll definitely want to exercise more than before. Movement is life, and if you exert yourself in an adequate fashion then you may very well reacquire that vigor and life-force that you miss when sick from depression.
A moment of clarification is necessary here though… many people when confronted with a minor problem in their lives feel a bit sad, weak, and unmotivated. They may say that they feel “depressed”. But this day to day blues that may captivate you once in a while differs VASTLY from true depression as a disease. True depression is much more dangerous, and warrants immediate treatment and a doctor’s attention.
To return to the habits of your life… you might want to engage in new hobbies. Anything that makes you happy and stimulated. You might enjoy playing chess. You might enjoy walking near the river in your town. You might enjoy talking with your friends about books. This will keep your mind off the depressed thoughts.
Finally, you might want to meditate a bit. It will bring calmness and focus into your life, and stave some of the stress in your life off.
Practice these advice and you stand a great chance in dealing a powerful blow to depression, once and for all.
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