There is probably not a day that goes by that I don’t feel sad or get down temporarily. People tell me that I’m a positive person but I am human and there are times when I get depressed. When my dog died, for example, I was depressed for a few days. When my mother died it was a lot longer. But those are natural events and I was mourning and that is depressing. No doubt about it.
 
I even get depressed when my golf game is lousy or when it rains on my golf day and I can’t play. That kind of depression doesn’t last very long.
 
Depression, however, is a persistent medical illness. Having the blues isn’t the same as having clinical depression. The good news is that depression can be treated.
The problem is that we seem to get more depressed as we age. And it’s no wonder. Our kids leave the house and we finally get the quiet we wished for but really don’t want throughout our lives. I think that’s why we want grandchildren so badly. A friend dies, a spouse dies, our arthritis gets worse and we’re in pain, we don’t hit the golf or tennis ball like we used to, and we look out of place in a bright red sports convertible.

 

My advice, call your family physician and ask for a referral to someone who can help you.

I bring up this topic because too many of us treat depression as if it were part of aging. It’s not but it can be just as debilitating as a physical injury.

More on depression in my next post. In the meantime let me know how you handle the blues when you get down. We could all use some tips on that topic. Scroll down to “Comments” and type your stories in the window. If we get enough good tips I’ll put them together for a Special Report!

To your success at healthy aging,

Ruthan Brodsky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Filed under: Mind and Body

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