is there any hope once you've reached 60

Hi is there any mature folks that have found relieve from depression once they get older?

I have been going through a very bad patch since last October and seem to take one step forward and then three back!

At the moment I cant even leave the house, and don't understand why? just that I wont. I have gone off sick from work for a week now and really must return before I loose my job and income.

Does anyone know how long you are supposed to expect Sertraline to work? I have been taking it now for two weeks and definately feeling worse now than before and really want to give up.

I don't have any support around and as I have difficulty comunicating sometimes, so it's hard to seak help in person. I still have a daughter in her mid twenties that needs me around even if she is only home once or twice a week, but she has no idea about my anxieties and I dont want to frighten her as I have scarred her in the past with my history of self harm.

I want to fight this, don't think that these pills are the answer but willing to try them, but would be grateful of any advise as I think I have tried just about everything to no avail in the years gone by.

I must be able to get past this cloud as after all I somehow have got to 60!

[Photogeek]

Hi there and I take it that you are new. Now I'm over 60, and when you say " Is there

Any hope" do you mean of never getting Depression.

Now first of all most tablets take more time than 2 weeks to work. Only you

And your Dr. Will know if Medication is the right way forward for you.

You mention that you have no time for yourself, is there a reason for this? You also say your Daughter who is in her twenties needs you, I would have thought that at age 60 you

Should be able to let your children fend for themselves and you take time for you.

You need to put your health first, there is no point in losing your job or you

Will add to your problems, I don't know enough about you to say much more ,

Other than be guided by your Dr. And maybe ask to be put on a list tor talking

Therapy.

This is a great site and if you stick around for a while you will get support .

I forgot to say that no one can say if anyone will be Depression free for the

Rest of their lives. It's not all doom and gloom though. One can have a Depression

Yet have a rewarding life. Life is never a straight line, there are ups and

Downs But Depression is like any illness and it must be managed .

So in shirt my answer is there is always hope. Hope us what keeps us going ,

When times are good and maybe not so good.

Hannah

[Hidden in reply to Photogeek]

thanks for your reply Hannah,

No I realise it will never be a case of being free from depression, I think I am more looking for the hope that life can continue after 60, as I feel like another twenty years on what I have made of my life would be impossible.

My daughter does kind of fend for herself, well perhaps I help out a little more than I ought sometimes, but then she has been what has kept me going for the last ten years now.

Its not that I don't do things to please myself, I do lots of things that I enjoy, except at the moment I don't seem to enjoy them and can't focus on them whilst on medication, this results in either staring at the walls or tv, both of which make me think I have now lost my mind all together.

it's difficult taking medication when it makes you feel so sick which is maybe why I feel more like giving up.

Its frightening once you think you have tried all the help there is out there and don't want to repeat things that didn't help and resulted in feeling more isolated? I have often wondered why therapies have made me feel worse? sometimes I wonder if I want to fail at everything? but I don't think I do.

I have never posted on a site before and it just seemed good to talk to someone.

thanks

[Photogeek in reply to Hidden]

Hi Monib, now I know where your coming for. Now Relax , I know it's

Tough when your on new Meds, but persevere and if you still

Feel bad after a month, go back to Dr. Unfortunately with Meds. The

Side effects manifest before the benefits do.

Monib I am 65 years young. Sometimes I cannot believe I am

This age, yes there is lots of life after 60. Funnily I feel I am happier and

Less Depressed now than earlier in my life. I'm not sure why, but

Certainly Meds have helped me and keeping up your interests, looking

After myself. Treating myself to a manicure and being good to me.

I have also found Mindfullness meditation very helpful, It sounds

Like I'm sitting on a Yoga mat chanting. But no , not at all, if you

Want info on the Book that really helped me I will send it all

To you.

Monib you sound like a lovely woman who is going through a rough patch. Can I tell you that this Forun has really helped me a lot, it's

Great for support, having a little rant, or even having a good laugh.

So Monib I hope you join us, we could do with someone like you.

Big hug to you

Hannah x

[Hidden]

Thanks again Hanna

your are very suportive and comorting. I had tried meditation, it's something I can only do when I feel well? otherwise I end up not being able to chase away dark thoughts and just quiet my mind. I then took up music instead as I found focusing on playing something would quiet everything else, it used to work, but now I cant do it?

Then there is the terrible guilt from my own behavour. I have two lovely dogs who haven't been for a walk for months! I keep trying to get the courage to advertise to re home them to someone who can take better care of them, but I kept trying get better as I know walking used to help as well.

Its a shame I have one person in my life that I need to still be there for, otherwise I think I don't want to try anymore. I try to think back at how long other episodes of depression lasted? and just cant remember? but this one seems to have lasted far too long now, and some how I am identifying with the depressed me instead of the positive me and wondering if that person even exists any more.

I have read some of the posts on here and it breaks my heart even more to see so much suffering around. Have I now become trapped in my own mind forever that all I can do is cry at other peoples misseries as well as my own.

Somehow I know tomorrow I will have to force myself to get to work as I have to do the month end and know if I don't I will loose the my job, I tried to go this morning but couldnt, so I pray I make it tomorrow!

take care, its been good talking x

[bepete]

Hi moni,

You probably haven't read anything from me on this particular site ,but I pop in every now and then !.

I feel its the meds that are trapping you in this negativity, they do take some time to kick in!

I personally have just recently gone back to taking citalopram ,its day 6 for me , and I feel terrible !,

" But " they do settle down as Hannah says after around two weeks ,and I must admit I cant wait till then.

I Too have lost interest in my hobbies and food and other things .

Its difficult for me because I've been off work now for eight months after a car accident .

But taking the meds is my first step to feeling mentally ,more like the person I used to be before the accident.

I think in a while once the meds kick in you'll be feeling better , and keep calling on to the health unlocked sites as there are more people like yourself to talk things over with, none experts ! apart from the fact they've also been through the mill.

pete x.

[Hidden]

Thanks Pete, I am determined to give the meds another week at least, although it does feel as though it's more of a punishment than anything at the moment. But it's reassuring to read that people are saying give them time, this isn't so unusual to feel this ill with something that's supposed to help.

Sorry you have been off work for so long, it must be very difficult. I have no excuses so somehow I shall get myself in that car tomorrow and drive to work, it shouldn't be much different from being at home anyway as there are only two other people in the building, so I am unlikely to see anyone while I am there, I find people don't like you if you are a sad person.

take care M

[Hidden]

Hi Monib nice to meet you and welcome to the site. I am 60 too and have suffered from depression most of my life - most of it low key thank goodness with the odd flare up. I have recognised I will never be free of it but just deal with it. I am confident that my downs will go up coz they always have in the past. It's just a case of hanging in there until they do. I am on sertraline and have been for about 5 years now. I am happy to stay on them for the rest of my life.

I never thought I would be this age and I am quite proud of my achievement in making it so far with my head and heart reasonably intact. I feel the best of my life has gone and anything else is a bonus. I am now on the downward straight but intend to keep enjoying my life to the best of my ability. After all you are a long time dead. I don't care much anymore about anything, x

[Hidden]

Hi Coughalot, many thanks for the nice welcome. It is very reassuring to here from those around the same age with a history of depression, simply because it helps me fight on when I really don't want to.

I never thought of taking the Sertraline long term? but perhaps its more that at the moment I have no faith that it could possibly help. I had only taken half a tablet for over two week and felt extreemly ill on them, as the side effects eased a little this week I upped it to a whole tablet and so they are again back with avengence.

it was so hard to get off to sleep last night, only to wake again at three this morning with terrible tinitas and headaches that come in waves , gave up and got up at 4am, Now I am still trying to talk myself into going to work when all I really want to do is go back to bed!

Reading the leaflet that comes with these meds makes me wonder how on earth they are supposed to help! they recomend asking your pharmasist for a suitable pain killer for the headaches! reminds me of when I was a teenager and was prescribed so many tablets simply to counter act all the other side effects, tell in the end I would just take the lot at once! it took them a year to decide that I just had an overactive thyroid in the first place.

take care, M.

[Hidden]

Hi I find sertraline really good but I do take 150mg a day. It didn't make me feel ill when I started them so maybe you should go back to the doctor and ask for a change. Not all meds suite everyone. x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

hi cough,

I think they have said that to me for every time I am prescribed something, and so far they all make me very ill to start and I eventually stop taking them. But it's not just antidepressents, it seems almost anything I take has a tendency to make me ill? it took a while to get used to Levothyroxin and even then I never felt well on it, so I have stopped that yet again. I am usually quite healthy physically, so to keep taking things that have this effect does seem a little like self punishment for being such a negative person when I'm down.

How's your day been? good I hope x.

I made it into work! ya, but now I am absolutly exhaused both mentally and physically. What can one do when it's too early to go to bed but dont have the strength to do anything? So far switch tv on, then off. Tried piano but could'nt hit any of the right notes, opened a book but read the first line 20 times getting no further! I feel safe inside, so can't face walking the dogs as much as they would like that. So came on the computer and I can seem to type! I think that's probably why I have a tendancy to bable so much!