Therapist-Psychologist.com - Articles - Mental Health Disorders

Caring for our Loved Ones: Depression in the Elderly

no@spam.com (Beth Patterson) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:00 PDT

Treating Depression in the Elderly
Beth S. Patterson, MA

Contrary to popular belief, depression is not a "normal" part of the aging process, but a treatable mental health condition. Symptoms of depression include feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, isolation and unrealistically negative beliefs about oneself. These feelings not only affect the depressed person, but also their family members and loved ones.

Depression is unlikely to go away by itself, and the guidance of a professional counselor, in addition to a physician, is often warranted. In fact, psychotherapy has been found to very likely help the depressed senior live a happier, more fulfilling life and decrease the risk of suicide.

There are a number of things a loved one or caregiver can do to help alleviate a depressed senior's depression.

These include:
* Making sure the depressed person sleeps and eats
regularly.
* Reinforce rewarding experiences and activities
* Explore spiritual/religious beliefs as a source of
    personal comfort and support
* Allow the depressed person to tell his or her story
   through techniques such as guided journaling, letter
   writing, autobiography or collage.

A counselor or psychotherapist trained in narrative therapy can be particularly helpful for helping seniors find meaning and a sense of integrity and ease their feelings of depression.

Narrative therapy is particularly helpful in helping depressed clients reconcile the inevitable losses incurred over a lifetime and find meaning in those losses in the context of their lives through the telling of the story of their lives. The role of the narrative therapist is to bear witness to the complexity and rich nuances of the evolving story and collaborate with the client in to make sense of his or her losses and find healing and growth through the process of reconciling those losses and acknowledging the contributions they have made in their lives.

Call or e-mail Beth Patterson at 303-817-8571 or bethpatt@mac.com

FORGIVENESS, CHILD ABUSE, DISSOCIATION AND AN EXPERIMENT WITH GENTLE REPARENTING

no@spam.com (Eric Loeb) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:16:08 PST

The following is my contribution to Lois Einhorn’s book, Forgiveness and Child Abuse, Would YOU Forgive (Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2006). I was included because I was Lois’ therapist when her memories surfaced. Others among fifty three contributors include: Mumia Abu-Jamal, Patch Adams, M.D., Edward Asner, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Laura Davis, Thomas Eagleton, Albert Ellis, Lynne Finney, Linda Hogan, Daniel Quinn, Pete Seeger, Bernie Siegel, M.D., Gerry Spence, and Kenneth Wapnick. Autographed copies of the book are available at a discount through the author‘s website, http://loiseinhorn.com

Post Concussive Syndrome Following Minor Motor Vehicle Accident

no@spam.com (Haygoush Kalinian, PhD) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST

A blow to the head or sudden jerky motion of the neck, as in a "whiplash" type injury (head does not need to hit something or be hit); can disrupt normal function of the brain.This type of brain injury is called a Concussion or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Concussions are not life threatening and in most cases, there are no lasting effects from injury to the brain.Eight out of ten patients with a mild head injury show some sings of the syndrome during the first 3 months after the accident. However, 15% of patients with mild head injury continue to experience symptoms of PCS 1 year after the injury.

Is It Alzheimer’s, Depression or Normal Aging Memory Decline?

no@spam.com (Haygoush Kalinian, PhD) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST

The objective of this article is to elucidate the relationship between a most debilitating disease (Dementia of Alzheimer's Type), depression, and normal memory decline due to aging (the brain starts shrinking after the age of 30 resulting in changes in thinking and behavior). Memory decline is one of the areas more sensitive to the aging processes and more prevalent in people over the age of 65.

It is important to know that "dementia" is a syndrome consisting of disturbances in distinct cognitive functions.The main symptom in dementia is memory loss, but other functions are also affected, such as orientation, reasoning, problem solving, judgment, visual-spatial performance, language, and change in personality and emotions.

Stroke Is No Longer a Disease of Old Age

no@spam.com (Haygoush Kalinian, PhD) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 PST

Every year, about 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke. That's about one person every 45 seconds. And one person dies from stroke every 3 minutes, or nearly 170,000 a year. This means stroke is the nation's number three killer after heart disease and cancer. It is the major cause of adult disability. The cost of stroke in the US is between $30 and $40 billion per year.

A stroke, or brain attack, is caused by the sudden loss of blood flow to the brain or bleeding inside the head. Each can cause brain cells to stop functioning or die. When nerve cells in the brain die, the function of body parts they control is harmed or lost. Depending on the part of the brain affected, people can lose speech, feeling, muscle strength, vision, or memory. Some people recover completely; others are seriously disabled or die.