|
Practicing Significance Glorifying God by fulfilling your own unique purposes through the never-ending action of acquiring, using, and sharing diverse resources. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aging – Mental Considerations
“Loneliness is the ultimate poverty.” Abigail Van Buren
“Everyone complains of his memory, and no one complains of his judgment.” La Rochefoucauld
“When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.” Mark Twain
“Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.” Jane Wagner
Introduction
Most of us fear the mental aspects of aging more than the physical aspects. We have all been exposed to elderly people who have lost their mental faculties, and it strikes a sense of horror deep within us. We all fear losing control of our thoughts and our words. Yet, statistics show that the vast majority of us will experience reasonably positive mental aspects of aging. Having additional knowledge of the mental aspects of the aging process should give us the quiet confidence to grow older much more gracefully.
Memory
Relax! Some memory slippage is normal as we age. Just because you forgot the location of your car keys doesn’t mean that you have the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, if you think about it, you’ve probably misplaced your keys a hundred times before. It may seem a more frequent event, or maybe others are just now pointing out memory lapses. Nonetheless, we fret about memory lapses because they seem so abnormal compared to our past. Here are some of the reasons why memory lapses occur:
· Depression. Depression is a medical disorder which can affect your thoughts, moods, behavior, and general health. Depression is treatable with medication, psychotherapy, and in extreme cases, electroconvulsive therapy. In some cases, depression can be caused by physical problems such as hormone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, or a major illness. Sometimes depression can be warded off by making some simple changes in your life such as: regular exercise, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, having a good diet, and having long-term intimate relationships. Nonetheless, depression is a medical disorder which is unavoidable by some people. Depression has two hallmarks. First is the loss of interest in normal daily activities. Second is a depressed mood (feelings of sadness, helplessness and hopelessness) that lasts more than two weeks. Besides memory lapses, other symptoms of depression include sleep disturbances, significant changes in weight, fatigue, thoughts of suicide, and loss of interest in sex. Some of the common factors which might trigger depression include: loss of a loved one, loss of a job, financial troubles, chronic illness, moving, decreases in hormone levels, or major changes in daily living patterns. Always check with a physician if you think you might have depression. Fortunately depression can often be treated with medicine. Prozac has been helpful, but can often take weeks to become effective. Newer treatments include Ritalin, Zoloft and Paxil.
· Anxiety. Anxiety often accompanies depression, but it is different from depression. Some of the anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anxiety can cause feelings of apprehension, nervousness, and uneasiness about your future. It may be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, headaches, or fatigue. Severe anxiety can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. Anxiety has many of the same causes and treatments as depression, but in addition, many people find relaxation techniques to be effective in reducing or eliminating anxiety.
· Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and illegal drugs. With age, our tolerance for these substances can change. Eliminating those three cups of coffee a day or other sources of these substances might have beneficial effects on your memory.
· Medications. As we age, we tend to take many more over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Even though needed to curb other problems, these can sometimes cause mental reactions ranging from slight memory lapses to symptoms as severe as dementia. It is necessary to follow all directions of the medications, and make sure that your regular physician is aware of all medications and vitamins which you may be taking. Many mental problems can be avoided simply by being careful with medications.
· Alzheimer’s disease. Many people fear Alzheimer’s disease more than any other physical or mental ailment. This is a progressive and (currently) incurable brain disease which causes memory loss, changes in personality and behavior, and a decline in mental and physical abilities. This devastating illness can lead to other diseases which can be life-threatening. Symptoms typically appear after age 60, but it is not uncommon to occur prior to that age. The disease often progresses slowly, taking up to ten years to wreak its havoc. It’s been likened to “the lights in the house going out one by one, until someday nobody is at home.” Unfortunately Alzheimer’s can be difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, lots of research is being done and more is being learned about the disease every day. One source of information is found on the website www.alzheimers.org.
· Dementia. There are other causes of dementia besides Alzheimer’s disease. These include brain tumors and small strokes which reduce blood supply to the brain. It often takes significant testing to determine the cause of dementia, and even then, it is an “art”. An autopsy is usually required to accurately determine if the cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Memory can be thought of as three parts: working or ultra-short term (moments or minutes, like obeying traffic signals), short-term (hours or days, like remembering where you parked the car), and long-term (years, like your wife’s birthday date). Here is a list of things to do to help maintain and improve memory and reduce the effects of not remembering:
· Exercise your memory. Mental stimulation not only maintains your capacity, but also can actually improve it. Try simple things like: not using a calculator, guessing at answers, estimating amounts, learning to work the VCR or microwave, learn something new every day. There is even some evidence that suggests mental and physical exercise can help ward off dementia, Alzheimer’s, and even Parkinson’s disease.
· Exercise your body. Some studies suggest that aerobic exercise improves memory by releasing chemicals into the brain.
· Get plenty of sleep.
· Avoid stress. Often this is impossible to do, so learn relaxation techniques and/or yoga. One of the worst things you can do to your memory is worry about it.
· Eat properly, including berries and foods rich in Vitamin E.
· Learn and use memory techniques such as: repetition, association, visualization, and mnemonic devices. Just concentrating enough to use the techniques may be sufficient.
· If all else fails, make lots of notes!
Attitude, Spirit, and Faith
Attitude, spirit, and faith probably have as much to do with our mental wellbeing as does the physical brain. These three characteristics are what allow us to deal with change, difficult times, and uncertain futures. These can make our lives stable and pleasant, or make our lives a living hell. Primitive societies knew that life quality and health were linked to mental qualities, and our modern society is finding out the same thing. The following is a brief list of thoughts concerning this aspect of our mental health:
· Spirit: The Mayo Clinic offers this definition: “spirituality is a dynamic process by which one discovers inner wisdom and vitality that give meaning and purpose to all life events and relationships.” It includes any or all of: belief in a power greater than oneself, purpose in life, faith, trust in divine guidance, prayer, meditation, group worship, ability to forgive, ability to find meaning in suffering and gratitude for life. Numerous studies and most professionals agree that an active spiritual life contributes to a much healthier and happier life. As an example, a study showed that the 27% of Americans attending church at least once a week have better mortality rates and are healthier.
· Hope: Loss of hope (despair) robs us of the richness of a full and happy life. Unfortunately, hope has a way of fading, so we need ways to regenerate hope and keep it fresh. Hope plays a critical role in our lives, so we must be willing to share it with others and keep it alive in ourselves.
· Forgiveness: A major source for bitterness and unhappiness as we age is dwelling on the real or imagined wrongs that have been done to us. Almost always, the dwelling is much worse than the harm from the action. Having a spirit of forgiveness is a key to mental health as we age. When Jesus was asked how often forgiveness should be extended to someone, he answered “490 times.” That should cover most of our relationships and keep us with a forgiving attitude well into old age. Note that forgiveness should be given whether asked for or not!
· Gratitude: Remember the line from old hymn, “Count your many blessings. Name them one by one.” If we remember to do this on a daily basis, we won’t have time or energy to focus on what’s wrong. As my daughter repeatedly tells me, “Change that baditude into gladitude.” One important way we can exhibit our gratitude is by finding a way to help others.
· Prayer: In a time of crisis almost all of us pray. How much easier it would be to live our daily lives if we prayed often. We are instructed in the Bible to “pray without ceasing”. If we lived our lives that way, it would be so much easier to get through every day without as much struggle.
Mental Effects on Caregivers
A growing number of caregivers to the elderly find themselves struggling to manage emotions they wish they didn’t have. The stress from care giving can be numbing. Whether you are a young caregiver or an elderly caregiver for a spouse, the unwanted emotions of depression, anger and frustration can be overwhelming. These are amplified when the caregiver is physically exhausted, financially stressed, or lonely. If emotional issues are taking a toll, contact some national programs in your area (such as the Alzheimer’s Association) and ask for information about caregiver training. This topic is becoming more researched and information is becoming more available. As with other topics concerning the aging process, don’t feel guilty for having feelings which are normal. Instead, try to access the resources which can help you. See the Practicing Significance lesson Care Giving for Aging Parents/Spouses.
Conclusion
Most of us will go through the aging process with healthy minds. We can aid the process by having the proper behavior and attitude. We should aim not to just grow old, but to grow old with grace and happiness.
Additional Resources
Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging. This incredible small book also has a wonderful list of resources on healthy aging. It is available from any of the Mayo Clinics or from their website: www.mayoclinic.com under the books and newsletters tab.
Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov
UCLA Center on Aging www.aging.ucla.edu
National Institute on Aging www.nia.hih.gov
Florida Atlantic University Memory and Wellness Center http://wise.fau.edu/memorywellnesscenter
American Cancer Society 800-227-4904
Email informedpatient@wsj.com