Old age and depression

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I am Larry
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:42 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Old age and depression

Postby I am Larry » Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:01 am

I am 62 and depressed. I would like to hear from older others with depression.

How do you cope with being depressed for so many years? The suicide of Robin Williams really hit me hard. He was my age and could not live one more day.

I have been thinking a lot about suicide recently. Can I live one more day? Having been depressed for so long now, when will I decide that I can not go on for one more day: tomorrow, next week? Does your depression get worse with advancing age?

4EverMe
Posts: 927
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:50 am
Location: Washington State

Postby 4EverMe » Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:52 pm

Hi Larry,
Another Washingtonian like myself!
It's beautiful here in the Great Northwest, isn't it? :-)

So, do you truly believe that 62 is "old" or, rather, do you simply just "feel" old?
If it's the latter, I can relate.
Honestly, I'm not in your age group, but I'm not a spring chicken either. I'm 42, and proudly sport my last shred of sanity; much of my life very chaotic...If only you had an inkling of an idea. My point is that I'm much wiser than my 24...i mean 42 years! Lol.

Depression can worsen with age, but if this does occur it can happen regardless of what a person's age is initially. Of course, depression can also improve with age, or become dormant.

Do you have a counselor/doctor? It would be a great idea to meet with one if you don't. I'd start first with the psychiatrist, because he/she could get you started on a medication that's helpful.
Please don't go the route of suicide. I've tried that a couple of times in my past. Either I was unsuccessful
or you're talking to a ghost. :-)
But seriously, when I had made those attempts I felt like I was desperately caught between a rock and a hard place, with slim to no hope...

I was wrong. I lived despite those attempts, only to find that the situations I'd presumed were hopeless did, in fact, improve. I would never have known this to be the case, if I'd succeeded in my self-homicide!
Therefore, I'm grateful to God for His patience with me. And for allowing me to see for myself, that no matter how impossible things may seem, there IS hope!

Can I ask you what you're dealing with that's causing your depression? Is there a particular reason? Or, is it something you can't quite put your finger on?

Ieris
Posts: 217
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:36 am
Location: London

Postby Ieris » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:19 pm

@ I am Larry,

I read your other post and wanted to bring it back here with your original post:

I am Larry wrote:I experience similar feelings. I am 62 and have extreme grief, guild, and self-condemnation over time--decades--lost. All of the good that I once had, I destroyed by my own doing. I could handle my life falling apart due to a natural disaster or someone else blowing up my life, but to know that I and I alone destroyed my life with addiction is unbearable. I can only blame myself and will do so until I die which I hope is soon. That is my desire every morning: to die today.

You have more time to get some things back but more importantly to create new things than many of us. I love you.


I found your post extremely upsetting and sincerely wish you find a way to let those negative feelings and thoughts go. I like the word desire and you're the first person I've ever heard using it in a negative way. I do not know what you have or have not done, I have not walked a mile in your shoes and I do not know your life story. However, I do know that you can make things better as long as you choose to. A good way to start is by unloading some of the baggage you have been carrying for years (the grief, guilt, self-condemnation which you mentioned). Sometimes you need to ask why you hold on to these things when they are so heavy and only drag you down. If you are punishing yourself, then when do you intend to set yourself free? There will be a time when you have punished yourself enough, there is no need to put yourself on a life sentence let alone a death sentence.

You may have lost decades but remember that you still have many more decades to come. You're only 62 not 102 so you shouldn't feel like there is not enough time to turn things around or live the way you wish to live. There are people who feel that they have wasted their time and their life, yet when they realize this, they continue to waste it. Don't be one of those people.

At one point in your life, you may have destroyed all the good in your world but don't make the mistake of destroying it further. If you are capable of destroying something then also know that you can capable of building things back up, it is all down to choice.
You are a lot stronger than you think, use a bit of that energy to look up into the light and not look down into the darkness. Life can be Heaven or it can be Hell, it all depends on how you look at it.

All the best x

I am Larry
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:42 pm
Location: Vancouver, WA

Postby I am Larry » Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:24 pm

Ieris wrote:@ I am Larry,

I read your other post and wanted to bring it back here with your original post:

I am Larry wrote:I experience similar feelings. I am 62 and have extreme grief, guild, and self-condemnation over time--decades--lost. All of the good that I once had, I destroyed by my own doing. I could handle my life falling apart due to a natural disaster or someone else blowing up my life, but to know that I and I alone destroyed my life with addiction is unbearable. I can only blame myself and will do so until I die which I hope is soon. That is my desire every morning: to die today.

You have more time to get some things back but more importantly to create new things than many of us. I love you.


I found your post extremely upsetting and sincerely wish you find a way to let those negative feelings and thoughts go. I like the word desire and you're the first person I've ever heard using it in a negative way. I do not know what you have or have not done, I have not walked a mile in your shoes and I do not know your life story. However, I do know that you can make things better as long as you choose to. A good way to start is by unloading some of the baggage you have been carrying for years (the grief, guilt, self-condemnation which you mentioned). Sometimes you need to ask why you hold on to these things when they are so heavy and only drag you down. If you are punishing yourself, then when do you intend to set yourself free? There will be a time when you have punished yourself enough, there is no need to put yourself on a life sentence let alone a death sentence.

You may have lost decades but remember that you still have many more decades to come. You're only 62 not 102 so you shouldn't feel like there is not enough time to turn things around or live the way you wish to live. There are people who feel that they have wasted their time and their life, yet when they realize this, they continue to waste it. Don't be one of those people.

At one point in your life, you may have destroyed all the good in your world but don't make the mistake of destroying it further. If you are capable of destroying something then also know that you can capable of building things back up, it is all down to choice.
You are a lot stronger than you think, use a bit of that energy to look up into the light and not look down into the darkness. Life can be Heaven or it can be Hell, it all depends on how you look at it.

All the best x


Thank you.

LuisSteven
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:43 am

Postby LuisSteven » Wed Mar 04, 2015 2:21 am

Hello Larry,

exercising just three times per week can relieve and help you to overcome from your problem.

100footpole
Posts: 477
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:26 pm

Postby 100footpole » Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:23 am

Luis,

I agree that exercise helps. It is important that each individual find an exercise they can enjoy.

Walking is wonderful for me, but I can't run because my knees and hips ache afterward.

Just sitting on the floor with your back on the wall and then leaning forward to stretch, and then putting your back straight against the wall and relaxing is how I started. It seemed stupid, the first couple of times, but I started to notice that I felt looser after doing this for just ten minutes, stretching out my legs, and forcing my shoulders back so I could breathe.

I would be interested in what other exercises people do to get started.

SkaterDrew
Posts: 37
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:55 pm

Re: Old age and depression

Postby SkaterDrew » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:28 am

I am Larry wrote:I am 62 and depressed. I would like to hear from older others with depression.

How do you cope with being depressed for so many years? The suicide of Robin Williams really hit me hard. He was my age and could not live one more day.

I have been thinking a lot about suicide recently. Can I live one more day? Having been depressed for so long now, when will I decide that I can not go on for one more day: tomorrow, next week? Does your depression get worse with advancing age?


Hi there Larry, have you tried to seek for a "professional" help? They might help you with your depression. I also suffer from depression when I was in my 20's age, and I depend it on alcohol and drugs. I don't know why, but every time I'm under the influence of alcohol and drugs I feel free and happy. I thought it's good for me since even just for a while I don't feel depressed, but what I don't know is that it only makes my depression worse. Thank God, I have a friend who's a therapist in one of the best Addiction Treatment Recovery Place here in our town. He help to me to recover and bring back my normal life. So Larry, please don't hesitate to get help, you are not alone, there are somebody out there that might help you with your depression, please keep holding on and be strong.

deedeec
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 12:41 am
Location: usa

62 and depressed

Postby deedeec » Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:30 pm

Larry its been awhile since you put on your post but I really hope you read this. I too am 62.I am new on here. I know when you are our age you see things so different. I guess because we know we don't have so many years left.it is very common for those our age to be depressed just dealing with a lot of things. Its even harder if we have a lot of regrets because of our own addictive life, and we don't think we can fix things before we die. I also live depression every day. I live with chronic pain 24 hrs a day, every day. At 45 I had to give up my job nursing, I checked out of life and lived on tons of pain meds, anti depressed meds.I was in and out of hospitals for drug dependence which is not addicted by the way.well here I am at 62 still on the roller coaster ride except for now I am starting to really understand how lucky we are to be still alive. You don't want to check out now heck there a whole big country we can explore ,we even get senior discounts. Lol. Look around you and live your life for yourself . You are special. Look back on our mistakes and learn from them. Don't spend your days wondering what if or why...I don't know where you live but. Bring something you once enjoyed back in. Its spring time with new life all around you. Take a walk, plant something to watch it grow. Do you have a pet IF NOT FOR MY PETS AND FISH ID BE LOST. I'm pretty much a recloose is that the right word? THEY ARE ALL I HAVE TO TALK TO..AND THEY NEVER GRIPE OR COMPLAIN. LOL..JUST TRY TO FEEL ALITTLE HAPPINESS..getting old can be a good time.just don't look in the mirror..lol..OK sorry so long..my pets are all asleep..


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