Signs of Depression in Seniors

Many of us who have never experienced depression, or have only struggled with it from time to time after a tragic event, assume that it is merely an unshakeable feeling of sadness. While this can be true for some people, the fact is that depression does not necessarily have to include feeling sad. It may manifest in other, unexpected ways, that you or loved ones may not always associate with depression. Many times, for seniors, these uncommon and unexpected signs and symptoms can be normal.

Unfortunately, many seniors experience life changes, health problems, and loss of friends and loved ones that can be natural reasons to develop depression. It is important to learn to recognize the signs, so that you can seek out the necessary help before the condition worsens and begins to cause any actual harm or damage to their quality of life.

Depression in senior citizens can look like a lot of different things, for example:

• Excessive tiredness, or having unusual sleeping patterns.
• Loss of interest in pursuing and performing activities they once enjoyed.
• Headaches or body aches
• Loss of appetite
• Neglect of their personal hygiene
• Withdrawing from social gatherings and becoming isolated
• Feeling helpless or without a purpose

When suffering from depression, seniors may simply not seem like their usual selves, and appear less active and engaged than usual. While these events may be just related to simple life events like having a full day of activities or appointments, or sad news, it’s important to look at the bigger picture and put their actions in context with how you usually expect them to be.