What are the symptoms of depression in the elderly?

Compared with young people, the elderly are more likely to suffer from depression. The main manifestation of depression in the elderly is that they are often forgetful, and they often feel self-blame and inferiority. Patients often cannot feel the joy of life.

1. Forgetfulness : Although elderly patients with depression may also have forgetfulness problems similar to those with Alzheimer's disease, the biggest difference between them is that patients with dementia really forget everything, while patients with depression just firmly believe that they have forgotten. For example, if you ask an Alzheimer's patient what he had for breakfast, he will either give the wrong answer or give a completely irrelevant answer. But if you ask an elderly patient with depression, he will tell the doctor "I don't know" or "I can't remember". If the doctor emphasizes that he must remember, the answer he gives in the end will be completely correct.

2. Feeling of powerlessness : Depression refers to an unusual, persistent, severe depressive mood. This feeling of extreme sadness will also produce a series of physical discomforts, including insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, long-term fatigue and loss of the ability to experience happiness. Patients cannot feel the joy of life, and often suffer from headaches, back pain and abdominal pain, and their concentration is greatly reduced. The elderly are more likely to suffer from depression because they feel lonely and powerless after retirement (feeling useless), coupled with a sudden drop in income (or no income at all), gradual loss of physical strength, health problems and the death of old friends.

3. Self-blame: Under the control of depression, patients often belittle and condemn themselves. They think they have done nothing well and are sorry to everyone. They will exaggerate a tiny matter into an unforgivable mistake, constantly blame themselves in their hearts, and some even think that only death can be enough to apologize to the world.

4. Inferiority complex : He thinks that others look down on him, hate him, and despise him, and sometimes he is very suspicious. But this suspicion is different from that of schizophrenia patients. It originates from emotional disorders and is caused by depression.