HEALTH TIPS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGEING AND DEPRESSION.
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The ageing process can be difficult and upsetting at every stage, from adolescence to extreme old age, it brings its own stresses and strains.
There is a nasty, or even spiteful, tendency to ridicule the unhappiness of young people. Indeed, the same people who empathize with a depressed, self-harming teen as dramatic and attention-seeking. But the transition from child to a teenager is no joke, and plenty of young people dread their 13th birthday just as much as their parents may dread their 40th or 50th. This r refusal to acknowledge mental illness among young people often stems from simple jealousy; adults envy their beauty and energy.
At a certain point, usually around 40, the individual must accept that they are no longer young. Few stages of life attract so much ridicule as middle age – so much so that almost no one would dare say “I am going through a midlife crisis.” Indeed, if said that to their family or friends, they would almost certainly be mocked and ridiculed.
But the midlife crisis can be just that – a crisis. The individual must not only face, aching joints, sagging muscles etc. an emotional and psychological storm can be raging beneath the gloomy exterior. In essence, the middle-aged are having to face the unpleasant fact that their youth is over, that life is not something ahead of them but largely decided.
The causes of depression in old age are of course different.
One of the advantages of ageing is that people care less and less whether they fit in or whether other people like them.
However, many find the indignities of old age, from incontinence to hearing loss, utterly humiliating. Others resent the loss of independence and hate relying on family and neighbours.
Another major cause of depression is loneliness among elderly people, as is the death of siblings and old friends. Some feel like a burden or that they no longer have a purpose for their lives anymore.
Making changes: no matter what stage of the ageing process someone may have reached, if they are to avoid depression it is crucial to embrace change; and the more you resist the more you will suffer.
Every stage of life have its advantages….. and even extreme old age also has its bonuses.
Living in the moment is the key. But most people, no matter what their age, spend a huge percentage of their lives thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
Embrace change and embrace the good things about modern life. The world may have moved at a calmer pace and been less overcrowded when you were young, but it was also dirtier, poorer and more brutal. But instead, focus on the good in it.
It is also very important to be your own person and not allow others to influence you. Never forget that people at different speeds. Age really is just a number. Live your life as you see fit-not as society expects. Keep going. Be an individual, live in the moment, and embrace the good, whatever stage of life you may have reached.
