Table of contents:
- The most common mental health disorder in the elderly
- Depression
- Causes of depression in the elderly
- Treatment
- Dementia (dementia)
- Dementia type
- Treatment
Psychiatric problems can happen to anyone, regardless of age. Many factors can cause mental health problems.
Seniors (people over the age of 60) are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders, and other health conditions such as diabetes, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis. Broadly speaking, as we age, we tend to experience several health conditions at the same time.
The most common mental health disorder in the elderly
The most common mental disorders in the elderly are dementia and depression. Not without reason, these two psychological problems affect the world's elderly population by 5% and 7%, respectively.
To get to know more about mental health disorders in the elderly, here is a complete explanation.
Depression
Depression is a mental health disorder that can cause sufferers to experience suffering and lead to disturbances in daily life.
The relationship between depression and "sadness" seems to be related to one another. However, many elderly who experience depression express not feeling "sad" at all. The complaints they say are more about a lack of motivation, lack of energy, or physical problems.
In fact, physical complaints, such as arthritis pain or acute headaches, are often the main symptom of depression in the elderly.
Causes of depression in the elderly
As you age, you will be faced with important life changes that can increase your risk of mental health problems including depression. This includes:
- Health problems
- Lonely and isolated
- Less purpose in life
- Feelings of fear (of death, financial problems, and health)
- Losing something loved (spouse, family, friends, or pets)
Treatment
Being old doesn't mean you can't learn new things. Many things can still be learned such as activities and lifestyle that have never been done before.
Here are some tips for dealing with health problems in the form of depression:
- Maintain communication with the outside world
- Find another purpose for living
- Start healthy habits
- Know when to need expert help (consultation or therapy)
Dementia (dementia)
Dementia is the name of a collection of various symptoms that affect the ability of the brain to function in remembering (memory), thinking, acting, and speaking (language). Dementia is not the name of a disease, but a mental health disorder. It describes symptoms that interfere with brain function.
Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, difficulty solving problems, difficulty planning, depression, changes in character, hallucinations, and so on.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of progressive dementia in the elderly. Depending on the cause, some of the symptoms of dementia can be cured.
Dementia type
Dementia is caused by damage to / or loss of nerve cells in the brain. Because they are a collection of symptoms from several conditions, many diseases can trigger dementia. Among them:
- Alzhemier's disease
- Vascular dementia
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
Treatment
Many factors can trigger mental health problems, including dementia. Some of them cannot be avoided, such as age, heredity, and down-syndrome. However, there are several factors that you can still control and take precautions such as:
- Quit smoking and alcohol
- Stay away from the risks that cause cardiovascular disease
- Make the mind to stay active
- Be physically and mentally active
- Meet the needs of vitamins
- Visit a doctor when experiencing health complaints
- Keep the diet
- Maintain quality sleep
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