Mental Health for Seniors

t’s not just your physical health that you need to be concerned with as you age. There’s an important mentalhealth aspect to aging, too.

Coping with chronic or serious illnesses, the deaths of friends or family and other major life changes can throw seniors for a loop. The good news is that help is available.

Symptoms Some symptoms of mental health disorders in older adults can include: • Noticeable changes in mood, energy or appetite.

• Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions.

• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much.

• Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless or feeling on edge.

• Increasingly worried or stressed.

• Angry, irritable or aggressive.

• Ongoing headaches, digestive issues or pain.

• The misuse of alcohol or drugs.

• Sadness or hopelessness.

• Thoughts of death, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.

• Engaging in high-risk activities.

• Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior.

• Seeing, hearing and feeling things that other people do not see, hear or feel.

If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, talk to a health care professional right away. They can help develop a treatment plan to help.

Getting Help You can also call any one of these hotlines for immediate assistance. Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. The hotline is free and provides confidential emotional support 24 hours a day. Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and then press 1 or text 838255 for free, confidential resources for veterans of all ages. Disaster Distress Hotline: Call or text 800-985-5990 to get help from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This is a free, multilingual and confidential hotline for those experiencing distress related to any natural or humancaused disaster.

For Friends and Family

The National Institute of Mental Health offers these five action steps if you think someone close to you is experiencing emotional pain.

1. Ask: Are you thinking about killing yourself? It’s not easy, but studies show asking will not increase suicide or thoughts of suicide.

2. Keep them safe:

Reduce access to lethal items and places.

3. Be there: Listen carefully and learn what the person is thinking and feeling. Talking about suicide may actually reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.

4. Help them connect: Give them hotline information to connect them to immediate counseling.

5. Stay connected: Stay in touch even after the crisis has passed. Studies show that the risk of suicide decreases when someone follows up with the at-risk person.