Anxiety disorders in old age. Is it a sign to get worried?

Aging always brings a number of changes in a person’s mental and physical health. Maybe it is a new phase of life, another reality a person should deal with. Surely, it may turn out to be difficult to see our loved ones getting old, see wrinkles on their face but what is most difficult to experience is the behavioral changes. If going deep into facts, the most common behavioral disorder among the elderly is anxiety.

There are so many factors affecting the health of the elderly and causing anxiety, but in fact, we can group them into some general categories.

Main reasons why elderly individuals experience anxiety:

CVD’s (Cardiovascular diseases) Cardiovascular diseases are a common name for diseases of the circulatory system, among which there are:

heart attacks
diseases of the lungs
diseases of the arteries
diseases of the veins

Heart diseases also include diseases of the coronary blood vessels.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. And maybe that’s the main reason that nervousness states, depression, hypochondria, and a variety of other neurotic illnesses and mental function disorders can occur as a result of a variety of heart and blood vessel diseases common in the elderly. At the same time, both heart and/or vascular illness and nervousness mutually reinforce each other’s influence: heart difficulties cause the patient to be concerned about his health and dread death, and greater anxiety creates the conditions for even more severe heart problems.

Cerebral circulation problems, both acute and chronic

The most common causes of anxiety among the elderly are changes in the blood vessels and of course, stroke. All in all, the brain is affected and depending on the afflicted area the problems may vary.

But the general thread among all these problems is the fact they cause anxiety, nervousness, instability, etc.

The onset of pathological old age

In fact, anxiety disorders in old age aren’t an obligatory process but are way common. The factors for the disorder are actually a lot, and the aging itself maybe something really worth noting as a cause. All in all, aging is bringing a rapid reduction of mental ability and of course to physical strength. That’s why you can see the lack of enthusiasm in person and they may show increased nervousness.

The very reason mentioned is the fears and overthinking because they realize getting old is taking them close to death. And the continuation of the symptoms is the main challenge of treatment.

Treatment options for your loved ones: Psychotherapy

Whenever a symptom is realized, it’s a sign to see a doctor and discuss the matter. It’s always easy to prevent than to cure.

The main therapy needed in this case is psychotherapy. It is used to cure anxiousness because it not only corrects a person’s behavior and attitude, but also breaks the vicious cycle in which physical problems increase fear of death, and fear exacerbates disease progression.

The second step toward the treatment is to maintain a healthy lifestyle; diet and physical activity. Aside from this, the immediate family members should normalize the intra-family relationships not to cause additional stress.

For sure, stopping the development of anxiety states and preventing the negative influence becomes realistic with an integrated therapeutic strategy. In many cases, the doctor may give antidepressants, sleeping drugs, as well as multivitamins, taurine, and other helpful supplements to treat anxiety problems. And of course, a few basic actions may be taken to prevent heart disease: modest but consistent physical exercise; joining groups for interests and hobbies; working with a psychologist; learning breathing techniques for relaxation; and sticking to the activity and rest schedule.

Remember...

The support of relatives and close people, warm relations in the family circle will also help an elderly person to avoid nervousness, fears, panic, and depression.