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release
The
by Carol Abaya, M.A.
DEPRESSION INCREASES IN THE
WINTER
Question: My father died last summer
and this is the first winter without him.
My mother, 76, who lives alone, has become reclusive and depressed. She says she’s OK and refuses to see a
doctor. What can we do to bring back the
spark to her personality?
Answer: More than a third of older
people suffer from SAD - seasonal affected depression. SAD can adversely affect moods, the feeling
of well-being, and quality of life. The
long dreary dark days of winter and the cold can trigger SAD. People always talk about the weather, and if
it’s extreme, they talk about it obsessively and negatively. This can result in SAD.
January
and February are the worst months for SAD.
However, December and the holidays can also trigger negative
feelings. The days are shorter, and
darkness closes down many people’s minds.
Because people may be forced to stay home more, feelings of isolation
and loneliness are more extreme. Some
hibernate, stay in bed all day. Others
crave carbohydrates which may increase energy in the short term but which
adversely impact overall nutrition.
Using a
“deflection” strategy can help elders focus on more positive, happier
things. You need to look for happy
triggers. The more one is able to help
older parents focus away from problems and negatives, the less likely SAD will
occur.
What
are the sources of a person’s joy? What
events do they have to look forward to? If
a person has something good to look forward to, depression is reduced. Listen, visit, and talk about the good
things that are happening.
Advice: Brighten up the day. Bring color, outdoor smells and “life” into
the elder’s home.
•
Flowering plants bring in a sense of outdoors.
•
Colorful cut flowers help cheer a person up.
•
Potpourri or scented candles bring in outdoor smells.
• Pets
provide a tie to another living thing.
• Buy,
and have an elder wear, bright colored clothes.
• Set
the table with a bright tablecloth with dishes in a contrasting color.
The “people connection” element also helps reduce the
feeling of isolation.
•
Encourage elders to maintain pen pals or frequent telephone calls to friends. •
Send video tapes and pictures of family activities when there is a geographic distance.
• When
family members travel, send pictures so the elder can look at them and have a sense of “connection.”
•
Encourage the elder to develop a family tree with the help of other family members.
•
Encourage the elder to write each adult child a letter remembering happenings when
the child was small.
• Rent
oldies video tapes or books on tape for those with poor eyesight.
And
some more simple ways to reduce the winter gloom:
• Light
up the house. Put larger bulbs in lamps
and ceiling fixtures. Put lamps on a timer, so the rooms used more often
are bright at night.
• Put
on lively or soothing music to enhance that important “connection” element.
• A vacation in a warmer climate.
Are you juggling doing errands for your aging parents, your children, yourself and working at the same time? Are you tired, stressed out and upset that your once vibrant parent is now frail and needy?
Do you feel alone? Rest assured you are not alone! The Sandwich Generation is dedicated to the 50 million Americans who may have elder/parent care concerns and/or responsibilities.
* * *
Do
you have a question? Send it in. Although letters cannot be answered
individually, appropriate letters will be answered in this column whenever
possible. Letters may be edited. Send letters to Ms. Carol Abaya, mail direct
to her at
Carol Abaya is an international-award-winning journalist and creator of the unique magazine The Sandwich Generation: You & Your Aging Parents.
NOTES TO EDITORS: text = 571 words; other material = 160 words
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