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Curtailing Stress That Leads To Elderly Depression

Curtailing stress that leads to elderly depression is one of the most important actions you can take in your road to health and wellbeing. Even if you are currently undergoing psychotherapy and also drug therapy, it is vital that you are cognizant of the stress factors in your life and how they can be avoided or curtailed. Sure, some stress factors will remain a constant in your life and may very well be beyond your control, but when truly taking stock of the various sources of stress, you may be surprised to find many that you have the power to influence directly.

One the bottom of the list of stress factors that lead to elderly depression is time management. It is usually found in those senior citizens who are still a part of the workforce and may also play a leading role when family members are living in the home of the elderly worker. Though it sounds like a trite statement to suggest that you work out methods of prioritizing the time you have to complete tasks and then saving time by delegating that which you do not absolutely have to do yourself, it is nonetheless a worthwhile endeavor in that you will be able to let go of a lot of activities that otherwise tend to clog up your day and productivity while at the same time tackling the important issues while letting the not so important tasks wait their turn.

At the top of the list for stress that leads to elderly depression are social interactions. In some cases it is the absence of social interactions or the loss thereof due to death, illness, or other factors, such as a friend being moved away to a care facility in a different state. These stresses are not always manageable and many a senior citizen finds that they weigh heavily on her or his mind. Fortunately, there are several extraordinary programs your therapist can get you in touch with, which will enable you to build a network of social contacts, if you lack them, and which may also include a grief support group for elderly patients who are dealing with losses of various kinds in their lives.

In some cases the stresses elderly patients experiences are self imposed, and they are most commonly seen in the arena of unhealthy daily living choices. For example, a senior may choose to self medicate with alcohol, but eventually this utilization of alcohol may get out of control and lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and fear. In the same vein, she or he may overeat, oversleep, or lose interest in such mundane tasks as housekeeping, leading to a messy, odiferous dwelling which must be kept hidden from others. Once again guilt, shame, and in some cases embarrassment are adding almost insurmountable amounts of stress to the patient’s life. The good news, of course, rests in the fact that self imposed stress factors are completely under your control and may be disbanded as easily as you may have encouraged them.