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

Feelings of pain from the loss of a loved one can be hard on our emotions, but are a normal and healthy part of life.  Feelings of grief from even small losses in day-to-day life transitions at home or work can also make us feel overwhelmed, but are also normal.  The hard part is to get through the door that leads to a place of healing and peace.

In my practice, I use a strength and health based approach. I believe that each human being possesses inherent wisdom to access their strengths and resilience in times of suffering. In the journey of grief and loss, your strengths can be obscured by the intensity of your feelings of helplessness and loss.  I can help you create some space around that intensity, to give a new perspective and hope for change, transformation, and transition in your life. 

 Allowing ourselves to deeply feel our pain in a safe environment can open us to acceptance and peace. By allowing ourselves to experience and express our suffering, we can see that suffering is common to all, and that understanding helps us find a meaningful way to grow, transform hopelessness into hope and possibility. When you experience your own unique grief, you can tap into its universality which will lessen feelings of hopelessness and isolation. You will also feel a deeper connection with others and the human condition.  This is the transpersonal and transformative work of healing grief.

If you are experiencing grief or loss, I can help you navigate life’s difficult transitions and transform them into healing and growth.  
Call me at 303-817-8571 or e-mail me at bethpatt@mac.com.

This article is about how to feel better when you are feeling overwhelmed with negative or sad thoughts. Reading and understanding this article is a good way to figure out how to feel better now and continue feeling better in the future. If you are feeling any intense negative emotion, such as anger, depression, jealousy, grief etc., this process of creating space between You and you may help.

While everyone feels sad sometimes, a low mood that won't go away may signal a more serious condition known as depression. Often depression comes after some kind of loss: the breakup of a relationship or loss of a job, for instance. If you have a family history of depression, that may increase your risk for becoming depressed. Sometimes depression is caused by drug or alcohol use, a medication, or another medical illness.