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Depression often occurs during the aging process but doesn’t always have to be. Many times people will believe that they are depressed because they are aging but most often depression is just a symptom of some other physical or emotional problem. Many times depression and aging aren’t recognized by seniors or by the medical profession.
If you are a senior, and are experiencing what you think is depression due to the aging process, you need to ask yourself a few questions. Do you feel empty inside, or worthless and guilty? Do you often feel more tired and irritable than you normally do? Do you feel as though no one loves you? The answers to these questions will determine if you are experiencing any sort of depression and you should talk to your doctor about your feelings, no matter how unimportant you think your situation is. Many times the aging process will leave you feeling as though you have nothing left to live for. Aging changes the entire way that your body and mind deal with emotions that you might otherwise brush off as being a bad day. Aging is a process that happens to all of is but that most often happens before we expect it to happen.
As you find yourself aging it is important to be gentle with yourself yet at the same time you need to be honest with yourself about how you feel about growing older. For many people aging means losing their independence and having to rely on the help of others more and more. Although the aging process is something we all wish that we could avoid it remains a very real part of everyone’s life and needs to be addressed both by the individual and their family. The more aware you are of the possibility of feeling some type of depression while you are aging the more prepared you can be to do something about it when you start feeling that way. The important thing to remember is that feeling some sadness about aging is perfectly natural. It’s how you handle this sadness that is important.
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