Senior Citizens and Depression
by Susan
As a senior citizen I can tell you that depression isn't any easier to deal with as you get older. I'm sure that must also be true for most mental health problems. The mere fact of advancing age sometimes causes me a great deal of sadness. This past week I also felt a lot of anger due to my having to let go of some of the things I love to do.
For many years I have been an avid gardener. I loved growing roses, perennials, annuals and even some vegetables now and then. We have a big yard and I had many large flower beds. During the growing season you usually found me outside digging in the dirt planting flowers or pulling weeds. I dug the flower beds, hauled rocks to build the borders for the beds and hauled the bags of mulch. It has been one of my favorite hobbies through the years.
However, the past few years it has been more and more difficult for me to do all of the necessary work to keep my gardens looking nice. This year because of all the rain, the weeds in some areas were soon taller than I am. Last week one of my neighbors complained. So, my husband and I worked all weekend and we totally eliminated two large flower beds. My feet are still sore from digging! I plan to do the same with some of the remaining flower beds. My gardening hobby will have to be limited, but I will still enjoy it.
Senior citizens have to deal with a lot of acceptance when it comes to their continually decreasing physical abilities. Even with regular exercise and good health habits we all get older and dealing with it can be depressing at times. It's a good thing there are some perks to being a senior too. Watching my grandson grow five inches in one year can be even more fascinating than growing plants. Hearing my one year old granddaughter call me Nana cheers me up in no time.
One of my prized flower beds just a few years ago.
As a senior citizen I can tell you that depression isn't any easier to deal with as you get older. I'm sure that must also be true for most mental health problems. The mere fact of advancing age sometimes causes me a great deal of sadness. This past week I also felt a lot of anger due to my having to let go of some of the things I love to do.
For many years I have been an avid gardener. I loved growing roses, perennials, annuals and even some vegetables now and then. We have a big yard and I had many large flower beds. During the growing season you usually found me outside digging in the dirt planting flowers or pulling weeds. I dug the flower beds, hauled rocks to build the borders for the beds and hauled the bags of mulch. It has been one of my favorite hobbies through the years.
However, the past few years it has been more and more difficult for me to do all of the necessary work to keep my gardens looking nice. This year because of all the rain, the weeds in some areas were soon taller than I am. Last week one of my neighbors complained. So, my husband and I worked all weekend and we totally eliminated two large flower beds. My feet are still sore from digging! I plan to do the same with some of the remaining flower beds. My gardening hobby will have to be limited, but I will still enjoy it.
Senior citizens have to deal with a lot of acceptance when it comes to their continually decreasing physical abilities. Even with regular exercise and good health habits we all get older and dealing with it can be depressing at times. It's a good thing there are some perks to being a senior too. Watching my grandson grow five inches in one year can be even more fascinating than growing plants. Hearing my one year old granddaughter call me Nana cheers me up in no time.
One of my prized flower beds just a few years ago.
Posted by ozzieblackcat at 8/19/2008 9:28 PM 
Categories: Anger, depression, His and Hers, sadness, senior citizens, Mental Health
Categories: Anger, depression, His and Hers, sadness, senior citizens, Mental Health
Hi Susan,
Just thought I'd drop by your blog again - its been a while! This post strikes a chord with me because recently we had to put my 93 year old grandmother into a nursing home. This was just after she'd had yet another fall and fractured her sacrum or pelvis. I was really upset by the way older people are treated, as though they are children or something. Its horrific. The fact that she now lives in a home where she can't go out unsupervised is also upsetting. When will this world start treating elders with the respect they deserve?
I'm sure that depression doesn't get any easier as you get older. In fact, as things are taken away from you and simple pleasures become no longer simple, I'm sure it gets even more challening.
The picture of your garden above is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I'm sure whatever you do by way of gardening from now on will be just as lovely, even if its smaller.
~ Svasti
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Hi there and thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. My mother-in-law is in a similar situation with a fractured vertebrae. She is very depressed and in pain as well. It's hard on those of us who are trying to care for them.....to see our loved ones like this. We feel so helpless.
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yes when decreasing physical abilities it's become more harder, i feeling tenst but also become stronger when reading and when article like urs that situation like this available also somewhere else not only mine, now m become regular reader of ur blog. i like thought sharing it gives little relaxations. God Bless u..
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Thank you for your comment. It really does help to know we aren't the only ones. Susan
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while anyone passing their older age it becomes thorny, sometime i feel very appalling how old people treated, life becomes harder when anyone facing physical problem... and no need to feel helpless, but try to help them and make them happy it will more better... nice article.
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specially i like about this article, that some one concentrating on senior citizens problem and their depressions, now a days consideration needed on this issue also... keep it up and carry this to a long way
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Thank you so much for your comment on this blog. We really appreciate it!
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Good post. Correct senior citizens decrease physical ability and immunity power. So much difficult for reading, walking and routine work for senior citizen. I hope we respect and help for them. Your blog is really nice and like so much.
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Interesting post !! What cms do you use on your site ?
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