Managing Lifelong Mental Health as a Senior

Hi Everyone. Today I turn 85. Hubby and I have already celebrated and this day is mine. I'm taking on a new project which will hopefully help my depression. I'm going to rejoin the fitness center and seriously research nutrition and eat a better diet. Would go shopping, but want to drop a few pounds. Hubby and I have been waiting for an apartment to come open. We are on the lists of two different retirement communities. Doesn't happen overnight. I'm impatient and the waiting gets me down, plus giving up our home. It will all work out. God has a plan. 🙂

Hi Lynn I'm so sorry that you're not feeling well. I too am very depressed and spent most of the day in bed yesterday. I will not let myself do that today. Some of the time I have to take a nap even when I'm feeling good as the handful of pills I take every day makes me so tired. I wish for all of us that they could come up with a magic pill that would take away the depression and anxiety and would work for everyone. In this day and age you would think we would have more effective solutions for our illness. I feel a little better today and even though I live in New England I'm going to try and get out with the dog today. One thing I'm worried about is not feeling better when we go to Florida in three weeks. I will be with people all the time which I don't mind for a while but I also need my alone time.
Jim I hope that you too will begin to feel better. Have you tried changing meds? Have you Lynn? I think I've run the gamut on pills therefore there are few options for me. There are a couple of new antidepressants that have come out in the past few years but I haven't tried any of them yet. I guess that's all I have to say. I'll be thinking of you guys and hoping that you get better.
Take care,
Leslie

Hi Lynn I'm so sorry that you're not feeling well. I too am very depressed and spent most of the day in bed yesterday. I will not let myself do that today. Some of the time I have to take a nap even when I'm feeling good as the handful of pills I take every day makes me so tired. I wish for all of us that they could come up with a magic pill that would take away the depression and anxiety and would work for everyone. In this day and age you would think we would have more effective solutions for our illness. I feel a little better today and even though I live in New England I'm going to try and get out with the dog today. One thing I'm worried about is not feeling better when we go to Florida in three weeks. I will be with people all the time which I don't mind for a while but I also need my alone time.
Jim I hope that you too will begin to feel better. Have you tried changing meds? Have you Lynn? I think I've run the gamut on pills therefore there are few options for me. There are a couple of new antidepressants that have come out in the past few years but I haven't tried any of them yet. I guess that's all I have to say. I'll be thinking of you guys and hoping that you get better.
Take care,
Leslie

Hi Everyone. Today I turn 85. Hubby and I have already celebrated and this day is mine. I'm taking on a new project which will hopefully help my depression. I'm going to rejoin the fitness center and seriously research nutrition and eat a better diet. Would go shopping, but want to drop a few pounds. Hubby and I have been waiting for an apartment to come open. We are on the lists of two different retirement communities. Doesn't happen overnight. I'm impatient and the waiting gets me down, plus giving up our home. It will all work out. God has a plan. 🙂

hopeful, just read your post 🙂 now tag you are it. 🙂 I don't go to church anymore, I don't have the courage to see judgmental faces or hear remarks about living with someone and not be legally married. I used to have a Stephen Minister when I was in Austin, but here in this very little town, there aren't any that I have found. What is NAMI?? I have not heard of it. You are right once a Stephens Minister you always are, the skills you learned helps you in so many ways, and sometimes I realize I am using them and not be aware of it. I remember the folks in my life that I have interacted with and all the teens who still till this day call me mom,when I see them. But I find myself hiding from them. I have lived with fear for so long and some days I just say the h..with it I am going to do something and not to worry about it. I do it every so often, but then crawl right back in my cage. I cannot seem to stay with anything for very long, I play the keyboard...sometimes, I paint with acrylics....some times, I play the guitar...sometimes... I do read a lot, and I sleep a lot. Cannot sleep at night so I end up sleeping in the daytime, and that makes my angry with myself. I would love to have a passion for something,,,that seems to be something I would really enjoy. Thanks for "Listening" it's nice to find someone who has a clue.
PEACE 7 LOVE ...JJ

Hi Lynn I'm so sorry that you're not feeling well. I too am very depressed and spent most of the day in bed yesterday. I will not let myself do that today. Some of the time I have to take a nap even when I'm feeling good as the handful of pills I take every day makes me so tired. I wish for all of us that they could come up with a magic pill that would take away the depression and anxiety and would work for everyone. In this day and age you would think we would have more effective solutions for our illness. I feel a little better today and even though I live in New England I'm going to try and get out with the dog today. One thing I'm worried about is not feeling better when we go to Florida in three weeks. I will be with people all the time which I don't mind for a while but I also need my alone time.
Jim I hope that you too will begin to feel better. Have you tried changing meds? Have you Lynn? I think I've run the gamut on pills therefore there are few options for me. There are a couple of new antidepressants that have come out in the past few years but I haven't tried any of them yet. I guess that's all I have to say. I'll be thinking of you guys and hoping that you get better.
Take care,
Leslie

hopeful, just read your post 🙂 now tag you are it. 🙂 I don't go to church anymore, I don't have the courage to see judgmental faces or hear remarks about living with someone and not be legally married. I used to have a Stephen Minister when I was in Austin, but here in this very little town, there aren't any that I have found. What is NAMI?? I have not heard of it. You are right once a Stephens Minister you always are, the skills you learned helps you in so many ways, and sometimes I realize I am using them and not be aware of it. I remember the folks in my life that I have interacted with and all the teens who still till this day call me mom,when I see them. But I find myself hiding from them. I have lived with fear for so long and some days I just say the h..with it I am going to do something and not to worry about it. I do it every so often, but then crawl right back in my cage. I cannot seem to stay with anything for very long, I play the keyboard...sometimes, I paint with acrylics....some times, I play the guitar...sometimes... I do read a lot, and I sleep a lot. Cannot sleep at night so I end up sleeping in the daytime, and that makes my angry with myself. I would love to have a passion for something,,,that seems to be something I would really enjoy. Thanks for "Listening" it's nice to find someone who has a clue.
PEACE 7 LOVE ...JJ