Managing Depression and Anxiety in Older Adults

If you or an older adult in your life are suffering from depression and/or anxiety, our professional staff at Pelorus Elder & Behavioral Health in Cedar Knolls and Raritan, NJ, provide compassionate, quality care to help overcome these challenges.

Managing Depression and Anxiety in Older Adults

Too often, anxiety and depression are viewed as teenage or young adult issues. It’s no secret that these age groups struggle with mental health conditions, but they are not alone. Depression and anxiety can affect people of any age.

Older adults are included among people with these conditions, but many don’t receive the treatment they need. At times, this is because they have been dealing with the symptoms for so long that they seem normal to them. Other times, they may be unwilling to, or have difficulty discussing what they are experiencing. Additionally, professionals may not recognize the symptoms as mental health struggles, as they can overlap with the symptoms of medical conditions.

What Causes Anxiety and Depression in Older Adults?

The underlying causes can vary widely. For some, the struggle has been present since they were children. However, a lack of understanding and access to treatment, as well as a stigma once placed on mental health struggles, prevented them from recognizing, acknowledging, or receiving help for their challenges.
Other potential factors include:

• Consistent stress, trauma, or grief throughout life
• A history of drug or alcohol abuse
• Medical conditions, like Alzheimer’s
• Being separated from loved ones
• Grief and loss, such as loss of loved ones, loss of employment from retiring, etc.

These struggles can also be related to the process of aging.

How to Manage Anxiety and Depression in Older Adults

As with any other age group, treatment and management must be personalized to the individual. Our providers at Pelorus Elder and Behavioral Health of Cedar Knolls and Raritan, NJ, can help develop a customized approach that can include medication management.

If you or an older adult in your life is dealing with depression and anxiety, let the team at Pelorus Elder & Behavioral Health in Cedar Knolls and Raritan, NJ help you find a way through it. Call (973) 295-6335 to schedule an appointment today.