50+ Lifestyles

Winter Blues or Depression?

By Mike Mathews
Milestone’s Area Agency on Aging

February can be a tough month for anyone. After months of grey skies and frozen ground, spring still feels as if it may never arrive. It’s easy and quite common to experience the “winter blues.” particularly in difficult times like these. However, for some, these “blues” can be signs of a more
serious, yet common mental health condition, especially for older adults.

Depression is a common yet serious mood disorder that affects many seniors across the country. When you have depression, you have trouble with daily life for weeks at a time. You may feel withdrawn and have difficulty finding joy in life. Doctors call this condition “depressive disorder” or “clinical depression.”

Depression is common among older Americans. Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimate that 7 million American adults over the age of 65 experience depression each year. However, they encourage that depression should not be considered a normal part of getting older. In fact, National Institute on Health studies show that most older adults feel satisfied with their lives, despite having more illnesses or physical problems. An older adult living with depression, should consider it a serious condition and seek out treatment.

Depression can be difficult to self-diagnose and may
present a variety of symptoms. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends seeing a doctor if you have more than three of these symptoms that last for more than
two weeks:

• An “empty” feeling, ongoing sadness and anxiety
• Tiredness, lack of energy
• Loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities, including sex
• Sleep problems, including trouble getting to sleep or sleeping too much
• Eating more or less than usual
• Aches and pains that don’t go away when treated
• Crying more often than usual
• A hard time focusing, remembering, or making decisions
• Feeling guilty, helpless, worthless, or hopeless
• Being irritable
• Thoughts of death or suicide or a suicide attempt

Fortunately, a variety of treatment options exist. While mental illness may not be a topic you are comfortable with, it is important to remember that it is common and asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Your family doctor can recommend the most appropriate steps for treatment. Most patients will begin to feel better soon. For others, feeling better can take time, but it can happen. The first step is recognizing the signs and making a commitment to get better.

Information, Referral & Assistance services are available by calling Milestones at (855) 410-6222.