Fitness for the mind

One in five Canadians will face the challenge of mental illness at some point in their lifetime. And with some mental illnesses, age can increase risk. 

Yet older adults are less likely to receive treatment for their mental illness. Sometimes this is because people don’t understand what is  ‘typical aging’ and what is not. Many people still believe that it is a normal part of aging when a person goes through significant changes in mood and behaviour. This simply isn’t true. 

In fact, changes in mood and behaviour can be caused by illnesses such as depression, delirium, or dementia. They should be attended to by a health care professional. 

What is depression?

Clinical depression is a mental illness. It is more than having a bad day or feeling ‘blue’ for a short time. A diagnosis of depression means that a person has had some, or all, of these symptoms for at least two weeks:

• Feeling sad
• No interest in or pleasure from things they used to enjoy
• Less energy and feeling tired
• Having aches and pains
• Feeling guilty or worthless
• Difficulties thinking and concentrating
• Problems sleeping
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Feeling agitated or sluggish
• Having thoughts of suicide

For most people, depression  does not get better on its own. Talk to your healthcare provider.

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