Does anyone feel old and useless with age?

Lecapro. For a long time. Tried them all

The absolute best thing for me was having a grandson at 63. I retired at 66 and my husband was killed in an accident six months later, having never retired. I stayed busy for many years taking my grandson to playgrounds, to a swimming pool (where I got exercise too) out to lunch, to movies, an occasional out of town trip, camp, cub scouts etc. He was with me more than anyone else....I even went back to church after years out so I could take him to Sunday School. Now I am 79 and he is 16 and I am feeling what you are feeling. I think you should see a psychologist or social worker too....but your grandkids would want you around if you were committed to enriching their lives. If you are sad and not focusing on them, that won't work. I was heartbroken as a widow when I was alone, but my sweet grandson kept me going. I don't see him as much, but I never turn down a chance to take him to school or pick him up. I show up for any school events and do what I can to stay in touch despite his devotion to his computer. If your grandkids don't respond, maybe find a way to spend time with kids in need of a person who cares....kids will help.

I'm 76 and was paralyzed from the chest down in 2014 by meningitis. I live with my oldest daughter's family and I know I'm a terrible burden. I have recovered enough to walk to the bathroom. I read, watch TV, and they take me to the doctor. I'm so stubborn, I won't give up. Hang in there. I have had depression, anxiety, and panic attacks all my life; but wasn't diagnosed until 2005 when my son was medical school.

@maggiebird: I have made similar decisions and feel it is only right to keep in touch with grandkids - no matter where they live or what age they are!
Being a Grandma is not easy and we owe it to the kids to be interested in their current situation. They NEED to feel loved, treasured and accepted no matter! It isn’t difficult… just send emails, texts or cards. Don’t expect replies, but just be consistent. Love is free… too many kids feel alone. Decide to be the difference in their formative years to add to their self-worth and desire to have a successful life! Proud Gma

Yes as we get older and so do our children and grandchildren they seem to be interested in their own lives as I’m sure we did when we were younger. Keep going try to take care of yourself and find some activities that make you happy. 😊
I hope you start to feel better soon. Love yourself💕

I'm 86. I've dealt (and mostly succeeded) with depression all my life. I have a wonderful husband of 52 years, great adult kids, some grandkids who don't live close. I go out for lunch with my girl friends, I play cribbage once a week with 12-14 people, I accompany my husband with his violin on my piano and we go to jams. Yet when first I got a compression fracture in my spine, it took 3-4 months of physical therapy to get back to swimming my usual 4 days a week. Soon after I found the lump. So for the past year I have not had the health nor energy to keep up my social life and activities. I have felt so alone. And that is depressing. I have no solution except to keep moving. Those days I am active 6-7 hours a day I feel great. But then I have to rest up two days. It's all a balancing act, with the depression always niggling in the back of my mind.
Thank you all for sharing. We're not really alone.

I agree with you 100%. I am in the same situation. We have to try and accept the way we are now and stay in the present moment. Also, there are so many people worth of keep that in mind. Sometimes I watch shows on the Holocaust and then it puts things in perspective for me

I'll speak for myself here, others may identify with this or not.

As long as I can recall, there has been a nagging voice in me: "What am I here for? What's the use of trying when it always comes back? Can other people see how useless I am?" and so on.
When I was younger I could put off the answer into "the future." And there were times when I was driving to a goal, such as editing a monthly magazine, or working on a large, difficult project, or practicing for a solo in a concert, where I was so caught up in the situation that thoughts of myself were forgotten. In a different way creative work, or just reading a wonderful book took me to peaceful places.

In my 70s now, I still don't have many answers to those questions, and I doubt I ever really did.
Our dogs and the creatures in the back yard don't seem to be lost in such ruminations. I would say that these questions of purpose are the unique problem of human beings.
At least I know that if I fall into that rut, it's not because I've been singled out for punishment, it just comes with the DNA.
If I find myself starting to tilt, I try to speak to myself gently and remind myself that I'm just me, trying to do what I can to live a decent life. I think of the messes the richest and most powerful people in the world are creating in their greed and desire to be so important. I'm pretty much free of that.
I find with a pause, maybe a short nap or a short walk in the back woods, I can be very grateful to be so unimportant that the world can do very well without me. I'm lucky to be calm enough to just enjoy my simple life.

your only 64 wait till you reach 80 yrs old then come back and tell me about what you could do and what you can do when your 80. at least you can still go to the Pub and have a Beer I can't even go to the mail box without a walking frame to stop me falling over

I agree! I’m almost 80, and have a terrible time walking, without falling! Thousands of older people have retired in the area where I live, and the local medical staffs and local merchants, sometimes, make many of us older people feel old and useless! The one hospital here, is overloaded with older patients. This influx of retired, older people, has just occurred in the last 15 years, when our touristy area was advertised nationally, as a great place to retire! Dozens of condos and apartments have been built in this area, to accommodate all the retirees, so building and selling homes here, is quite profitable. Still, only one hospital, so medical personnel are overloaded with patients! My neurologist retired this last year, and I have had to wait, now, going on 7 months, to see the new neurologist that I have been assigned to. Meanwhile, over the winter, I’ve had 4 falls, where, luckily, I just got bruising! One time, when my wife had to go to ER for serious heart condition, we had to wait 5 hours to be seen, recently! My incurable, progressive neurological disease causes loss of balance, and walking and standing have become very difficult for me! So, still waiting to see a neurologist, six months later, I certainly feel old, useless, and neglected!! Add the brutal cuts to medical coverage by this administration, and, for sure, I and millions of other senior citizens, have been made to feel that they are old and useless! Back in my Grandpa’s time, elderly people were treated with some respect, and were made to feel that their contributions to society, were important!