Depression after retirement is a common issue. People after retirement are idle all day are prone to feelings of anxiety and depression caused by long isolation from the community, especially for the elderly who live alone.
Studies have shown that the incidence rate of depression in the elderly is much higher than that of young people and that the elderly over 55 is more likely to get depression.
There are some symptoms and signs for depression, and you shall pay attention if you are experiencing many of these symptoms:
1. You are always poker-faced with a dull look.
2. You are not interested in entertainment activities like singing and dancing, and you tend to associate these happy things with sad memories.
3. You are in a low mood all days and often think about unhappy things in the past. Sometimes, you are easily irritated and bad-tempered towards people around.
4. You have sleeping disorders, and it is difficult for you to fall asleep. Sometimes you are even sleepless all night.
5. You have bad focus and concentration. When faced with problems, you are helpless and feel difficult to make decisions.
6. You refuse to any sort of sports exercise and rarely go out. You prefer to stay in a place quietly, sitting, lying down, and avoid communicating with people.
7. You experience physical discomforts such as headache, limb pain, stomach discomfort, diarrhea or constipation, chest tightness, etc., but there are no abnormal biomarkers detected.
Depression in retirement can lead to many health problems such as myocardial infarction, hypertension and even suicide. In order to avoid the development of depression, elderly people are advised to do the following things:
1. Participate in group activities. Elderly people who like to stay at home without connecting with others tend to develop a feeling of loneliness and isolation which can cause depression. Participating in some group activities like dancing, hiking or fishing can help you alleviate this bad mental state to prevent depression.
2. Find emotional support from families. Living with family members is helpful because your children and grandchildren can provide you with psychological pleasure through daily chatting and laughing. Also, to do some household like cleaning, cooking and gardening for children can give you a sense of importance.
3. Make new friends. New friends with shared hobbies are valued and they can bring positive effects on your existing life. You can do lost of thing together with new friends to get more pleasure.
4. Keep healthy diets. Studies have shown that lower serum cholesterol is associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms. Health diets can help you improve serum cholesterol to prevent depression. Foods rich in vitamin B and amino acids like cereals, fish, green vegetables, and eggs are good choices.
