With one in six Australians experiencing depression or anxiety, or both, at some point in their lives, it is very likely that we will all either experience a mental health condition personally or know someone who does.
In light of this, what should every Australian aged over 60 look out for and what can they do to decrease the risks of experiencing a mental health condition?
Understand the symptoms
A person may be depressed if, for more than two weeks, he or she has felt sad, down or miserable most of the time or has lost interest or pleasure in usual activities.
The person might not go out as much or stop altogether, find it difficult to concentrate and withdraw from close family and friends. Feelings of irritability, frustration, low confidence and sadness may be prevalent and negative thoughts can dominate. In addition, depression can manifest in physical symptoms, such as significant weight loss or gain, headaches and muscle pains, tiredness and sleep issues.
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where a person feels under pressure, it usually passes once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed.
Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don’t subside. Anxiety is when they are ongoing and exist without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard for a person to cope with daily life. We all feel anxious from time to time, but for a person experiencing anxiety, these feelings cannot be easily controlled.
Symptoms of anxiety can include hot and cold flushes, racing heart, snowballing worries and obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviour. Sometimes, they are not all that obvious as they can develop gradually and, given that we all experience some anxiety at some points in time, it can be hard to know how much is too much.
How should we talk about it?
beyondblue recently launched a new national initiative called ‘Have the Conversation’ to guide Australians on how to approach someone they think may be struggling with depression or anxiety, and how to talk to someone about how you are feeling.
The new free resources includes a website, handy tips and videos of people talking about how to approach a friend or family member you may be concerned about.
Insensitive remarks, ignoring a person, or telling them to ‘cheer up’ is very unhelpful to a person experiencing depression or anxiety, but people often don’t know what to say to someone they are worried about. We are often frightened of saying the wrong thing.
‘Have the Conversation’ (beyondblue.org.au/conversations) has videos and factsheets and offers practical guidance, with tips on how to reach out for help or to someone you think may be struggling.
What you can do.
Find ways to reduce and manage stress in your daily life
Eating well and staying active
Try to get a good night’s sleep
Recognising triggers and warning signs
Further information
Reach out to family and friends if you feel comfortable to, or talk to your GP. Your doctor can help you to find other support options or create a mental health plan with you.
You can also visit beyondblue’s online forums where people share their experiences of anxiety and depression with each other.
Resources and information specifically tailored for sections of the Australian public are available on the beyondblue website.
Trained mental health counsellors are available at the beyondblue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 or via www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support for online chat or email responses.
This article has been sponsored by beyondblue. It was written as we feel it provides the Starts at 60 community with valuable insight into a highly important topic. To find out more about the work that beyondblue does and to learn more about depression, anxiety and maintaining good mental health as you get older, click here.