Senior Mental Health

" My belief is that it’s a privilege to get older - not everybody gets to get older" - Cameron Diaz

Life is full of ups and downs, and this range of emotional moments don’t stop once we reach our senior years. Between the various life adjustments that happen after retirement, it’s completely normal for the elderly to experience a loss of independence, overwhelming feelings of grief and loss, and anxiety and depression.

Whether you’re experiencing these changes and emotions yourself or care for someone who is entering this vulnerable life season, it’s important to remember the value of self love. Looking after senior mental health is essential to embracing the final years of life in a wholesome way.

Mental Shift That Comes With Aging

There is a lot of scientific research into the neurological developments that happen throughout our lives. These changes are closely connected to our emotional state and mental wellbeing. To better understand senior mental health, it’s valuable to understand the neurocognitive changes in aging.

It’s completely normal for various cognitive abilities, such as conceptional reasoning, memory, and processing speed to slow down over the years. These changes are a result of both white matter and gray matter volume declining which impacts the neuronal size and synaptic density.

Essentially, this can result in feelings of confusion, disorientation, and the inability to perform daily tasks that were previously considered second nature.

How To Deal With Life-Changing Events

What would you consider to be a life-changing event? Death? Birth? Illness? Marriage?

As people age, these life-changing events happen more frequently. While there are certainly many happy moments in the life of an elderly person, there is also an increase in the amount of grief and loss that occurs.

These regular encounters with grief can take a toll on one’s mental health. Understanding the deep sadness that comes with loss, the anxiety that comes with losing certain cognitive abilities, and the frustration with a decreased physical performance is essential to helping maintain a healthy wellbeing. Sometimes, guidance is needed to achieve this balance and learn to practice self love.

Tips To Help Your Loved Ones

Whether you’re struggling through these emotions yourself or you love someone who is, there are certain steps that you can take in order to be compassionate and patient. For example.

Remember your lost loved ones fondly and celebrate their life in conversation
Don’t assume to understand what emotions are at play in the heart and mind of your senior loved one, rather give them the space to discuss their emotions
Learn to be comfortable in silence and just show love through your company
Try not to make any major changes directly after death, allow time to grieve
Encourage a healthy diet, enough sleep, and adequate movement
Consider adopting a pet for loyal companionship
Look into counseling and talk-therapy to work through these emotions

Learning to Love Yourself

The chance to grow your character doesn’t end at a certain age. There’s a common misconception that pain needs to be sedated, especially among the elderly. However, heartache plays a role in improving memory, increasing motivation, and providing an opportunity to learn about yourself.

Self love is a foundational element in learning to manage grief, endure difficult life events, and be at peace with various changes. Sometimes, the thought of making it to the light at the end of the tunnel may seem too much. In these instances, the help of a therapist can be invaluable.

At P.S. Love Yourself, Priya D’Singh guides individuals towards healing and fulfillment through a variety of self love therapies including depression therapy, anxiety therapy, and programs dedicated to learning to love yourself.

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P.S. LOVE YOURSELF INTENSIVE PROGRAM

This 24-week program is designed to help survivors of simple and complex trauma heal. In this program, I will teach you about trauma and how it affects your brain. You will have the opportunity to develop healthy coping skills that may aide in managing triggers, flashback, panic attacks, anxiety and depression. We will work together to create a mindfulness practice that works for you. In addition, I will help you learn how to set and maintain healthy boundaries. This program is intended to guide you through the journey of self-love and to help you heal from those “invisible” wounds. Each session is 60 minutes.

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