by Emma Brown
Aging is one of the most dreaded realities of human life, which makes each one of us cringe and whine with unease. It is a bitter truth that can be evaded by no one in the world and needs to be handled with care. Though aging is an ineluctable process that hits people after a certain age, midlife depression can wreck havoc in lives of most people during their prime years.
Ideally, aging should be accompanied with the realization of many beautiful facts of life that make you feel content and happy from inside. In reality however, aging brings about a totally different picture in front of us.
Often during our midlife, we face situations where we easily feel depressed and are unable to handle extreme pressures. Midlife crisis can hit anybody and can be one of the most painful things to handle. A major reason for this midlife crisis is the hormonal imbalance faced by most people during this time. Additionally, your changing appearances and slow metabolism along with lower levels of endurance can worsen the problem and make you more whiny!
Symptoms:
Some of the major symptoms of midlife depression often go overlooked, so it is imperative to be well-acquainted with these in advance. Some common symptoms of this depressing phase include:
- Sadness, emptiness, and anxiety.
- Sleeping disorder, waking up very early, facing problem to sleep, or excessive sleep.
- Isolation, losing interest, social withdrawal from meet friends, parties etcetera.
- Fatigue
- Loss of self worth, feeling guilty unnecessarily, feeling helpless and hopeless.
- Losing interest in hobbies and other pastimes.
- Loss of appetite and weight.
- Excessive intake of alcohol and drugs
- Fixation on death, suicidal attempts
- Body aches and pain that do not go way even after treatment.
- Crying too often or too much.
This is kind of chronic depression is recurrent and persistent. Chronic depression has impact on both the physical and mental health of an older adult and may worsen due to many new factors. Aging causes changes in body that increase risks of depression. Reduced concentration of foliate in blood and nervous system may contribute to depression, impairment and dementia. Researchers suspect that mid-life depression and Alzheimer’s disease are also closely related.
Causes can be many, but ultimately depression has very alarming physical effect on elder people. Mortality rate in elderly people having depression issues is more than those who don’t. It is evident and is noticed several times that people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and other illnesses along with depression take more time to recover than the rest.
How to tackle midlife depression?
The loving care and assistance of a loved one often reduces the pain of midlife crisis. Due to increased complications in human lives, basic aging problems have evolved from skin aging concerns to health, physiological and psychological woes as well. Now a days, an effective anti-wrinkle cream alone is not sufficient to deal with this complicated problem. We need advanced solutions and proper medical care to deal with depressing midlife problems.
It is strongly recommended to deal with midlife crisis as a medical condition and take requisite steps to relieve yourself or your loved ones from this taxing situation. Here’s a brief lowdown on different ways to deal with midlife crisis:
- Feel beautiful about yourself: Midlife often hits your confidence really bad, and makes you feel awful about yourself. It is time to find more ways to look good and feel good about yourself. You can always take out time for treating yourself to good clothes, cosmetics and other aesthetics. You can workout and feel better, by toning your body.
- Pursue your hobbies: Retirement or midlife means no desinence of youth, but a new beginning. It is indicative of finding a new way of life by seeking solace in something you love to do. You can finally look out and encourage others to pursue their favorite hobbies and do things they love. Many people have discovered newer talents and honed their skills during the testing midlife period.
- Be more health-centered: Midlife is accompanied by many health disorders that need attention. It is better to place importance on health issues and develop some healthful new habits. Try adopting some of the following:
1. Healthy eating– You would have tried almost every delicacy in the world by now, so its time to resort to some ideal eating habits. Your old ‘hamburgers and cheese’ habits should now be replaced by ‘Green tea and fresh fruits’.
2. Quit smoking- Research has shown that people who smoke often end up aging early. Prolonged smoking and binge drinking can result in health issues, which is not advisable during this age.
3. Exercise- If you’ve been procrastinating exercise for quite a long time, its time to stop now! Regular exercise is essential for good health and well-being. Try to take out time for fitness and exercise regularly.
- Socialize: Find time to spend with people you love and stay happy. It will surely help you evade most midlife problems. A smile is all it takes to deal with some of the most complicated problems of human life. Smile, socialize and stylize your wardrobe to stay happy and bid adieu to all your aging-related worries.
- Take proper advice from your family doctors or established medical practitioners who have expertize in dealing with midlife crisis. They can help you ascertain whether the depression is triggered by some health problems, or due to any other factor. You may have to take medications or change the old ones if required. Medical practitioners can assess the extremity of the condition and accordingly take further steps. There are specialized professional psychiatrists called geriatric psychiatrists who treat people afflicted with such psychological problems during midlife.
- If its not you but someone else who needs care, give them proper time and heal them with loving words and proper care. If you think something is bothering them, make it a point to gently ask them and devise different ways to make them happy.
There is no greater miracle than positive thinking and strong will. When these two combine with the right intention, you can observe some of the most beautiful miracles in the world. Use these tools to your advantage and make anyone feel at peace. Happiness is after all, an outcome of good intentions of making others happy.
Image Source/Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsallaboutmich/386699958
