Page 7 - Seniors Today - May21 Issue

a persistent sad, anxious or “empty” Others who are used to keeping busy
mood, irritability, and feelings of guilt,
withdrawal and pessimism. Many of us
seniors are once again vulnerable, facing
the risk to life, the stress of the news, the
gut-wrenching images. The fear of being
infected or infecting someone else. The
helplessness and misery of it all. This is the
perfect storm for depression and anxiety.
Stress and mistrust
Life as we knew it has dramatically
changed in a matter of weeks and we are
forced to isolate to prevent the spread of
the coronavirus. Many of us are struggling
with tragedies, death of friends and
family, job losses and economic burdens.
Words such as co-morbidities and anxiety
disorders remind you of the fragility
of human life. Seniors find themselves
ruminating, feeling hopeless and helpless
and, ultimately, depressed. Unpleasant
news within family and friends adds to
the trauma. If your own anxieties are not
enough, you get bombarded by a lot of
political junk on WhatsApp, social media
etc. Seniors have found themselves more
stressed than usual by politics and the state
of the nation. The pandemic has exposed
racial inequities and there is widespread
mistrust of the media.
Those who are already struggling with
depression and anxiety may find that
the situation aggravates their feelings.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #23 | MAY 2021
may suddenly find themselves alone
with their thoughts, missing friends and
family outside of their household. Lots of
folks have lost their usual routine, and the
unstructured time increases rumination
and becomes a cause of depression and
loneliness.
When you start thinking critical thoughts
about yourself take a moment to pause
and assess your feelings. Experts term
this “self-talk”. This involves the things
you mentally tell yourself. It is the inner
voice in your mind that analyses how you
interact with the world around you. Paying
attention to your self-talk is a great place
to start when you are trying to think more
positively. If you find yourself with too
much of negative self-talk, start looking for
ways to change your thought patterns and
reframe your interpretations. Rather than
feel sad for yourself, look for a problem-
solving strategy for your survival.
Isolation is the cause of loneliness.
People don’t always talk about feelings of
loneliness and don’t always know what
to do with these feelings. Research also
suggest that loneliness and depression
may feed off and perpetuate each other;
meaning, the more lonely you are the more
depressed you are likely to feel and vice
versa. If you are experiencing loneliness
you need to distract yourself – this will help
you to stop ruminating about everything
that is wrong.
Talk, write, create
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