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STUDENT: I would assume that emotional challenges especially depression is a natural part of aging.
LEWIS: One of the myths around aging is that depression is a normal aspect of being old. Symptoms such as pessimism, excessive criticism of others, hopelessness concerning the future, and sudden irritability, which are often seen as the "grumpy" personality qualities of the elderly are common. Part of this is that the elderly are generally more isolated, physically limited and have probably lost many friends and peers? Though these elements of aging can lead to depression, the causes for depression in the elderly are often biochemical as they are for younger people.
STUDENT: What do I need to know as a practitioner of an integrative approach to nutrition is helping the depressed elderly?
LEWIS: Depression symptoms often goes undetected in the elderly because patients do not report their symptoms, and those who recognize the problem, may attempt to self-treat. Many older adults resist diagnosis and treatment due to the stigma connected to mental illness in the past; myth based fear, lack of information and misinformation. When doctors recognize these symptoms, they often misinterpret them as some other form of mental illness.
STUDENT: Is depression usually diagnosed properly in the elderly?
LEWIS: No. And because of this, many believe that older adults are considered the group most at risk of suicide. As much as two-thirds of suicides in the elderly are attributed to misdiagnosed or untreated depression. Doctors often treat depressed patients for other illnesses but fail to recognize that these individuals suffer from depression.
STUDENT: What is the most effective way of diagnosing depression symptoms in the elderly?
LEWIS: Unless a physician asks the right questions in the right way, older people will seldom admit to being depressed. Unfortunately, there is still a great stigma in our society to having a psychiatric or mental problem and this stigma is even greater among the elderly.
STUDENT: Speak further about depression symptoms in the elderly.
LEWIS: As an older person becomes frail, they will sometimes exhibit such symptoms as loss of appetite, fatigue, and a lack of interest in things that were formerly sources of great pleasure. All of these symptoms are symptoms of depression.
STUDENT: What are some of the statistics on depression in the elderly?
LEWIS:As far back as 1995, it was estimated that of the over 32 million Americans aged 65 and older, as many as six million suffered from some form of clinical depression, and of these, at least 75% went undiagnosed and untreated.
STUDENT: Is depression in the elderly easy to diagnose?
LEWIS: According to experts the prognosis for elderly patients whose depression is diagnosed and treated is good. Some studies show that treatment works in 80% of cases where patients receive appropriate treatment.
The best treatment is nutrition management, the arts, bodywork, Tai Chi and Yoga and Bach Flower Remedies
LEWIS: One of the myths around aging is that depression is a normal aspect of being old. Symptoms such as pessimism, excessive criticism of others, hopelessness concerning the future, and sudden irritability, which are often seen as the "grumpy" personality qualities of the elderly are common. Part of this is that the elderly are generally more isolated, physically limited and have probably lost many friends and peers? Though these elements of aging can lead to depression, the causes for depression in the elderly are often biochemical as they are for younger people.
STUDENT: What do I need to know as a practitioner of an integrative approach to nutrition is helping the depressed elderly?
LEWIS: Depression symptoms often goes undetected in the elderly because patients do not report their symptoms, and those who recognize the problem, may attempt to self-treat. Many older adults resist diagnosis and treatment due to the stigma connected to mental illness in the past; myth based fear, lack of information and misinformation. When doctors recognize these symptoms, they often misinterpret them as some other form of mental illness.
STUDENT: Is depression usually diagnosed properly in the elderly?
LEWIS: No. And because of this, many believe that older adults are considered the group most at risk of suicide. As much as two-thirds of suicides in the elderly are attributed to misdiagnosed or untreated depression. Doctors often treat depressed patients for other illnesses but fail to recognize that these individuals suffer from depression.
STUDENT: What is the most effective way of diagnosing depression symptoms in the elderly?
LEWIS: Unless a physician asks the right questions in the right way, older people will seldom admit to being depressed. Unfortunately, there is still a great stigma in our society to having a psychiatric or mental problem and this stigma is even greater among the elderly.
STUDENT: Speak further about depression symptoms in the elderly.
LEWIS: As an older person becomes frail, they will sometimes exhibit such symptoms as loss of appetite, fatigue, and a lack of interest in things that were formerly sources of great pleasure. All of these symptoms are symptoms of depression.
STUDENT: What are some of the statistics on depression in the elderly?
LEWIS:As far back as 1995, it was estimated that of the over 32 million Americans aged 65 and older, as many as six million suffered from some form of clinical depression, and of these, at least 75% went undiagnosed and untreated.
STUDENT: Is depression in the elderly easy to diagnose?
LEWIS: According to experts the prognosis for elderly patients whose depression is diagnosed and treated is good. Some studies show that treatment works in 80% of cases where patients receive appropriate treatment.
The best treatment is nutrition management, the arts, bodywork, Tai Chi and Yoga and Bach Flower Remedies
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