This blog presents the ideas and creative thinking of some of Utah's talented older adult writers. Their submissions are to inform and entertain, not to present policy or opinion positions of the Utah Commission on Aging. Enjoy.
Behind that smiling countenance and bullet-proof positive attitude that you’re likely to encounter is the other me: frustrated, beaten down and yes, depressed. Sometimes. Lately it feels like it’s more often than not. My aging spinal cord injury isn’t helping things. Walking, even with crutches, is more difficult than ever. Two worn out painful shoulders are awaiting replacement surgery. Leg spasms are ruling the day. Waaah. Sounds like a lot of complaining to me.
There’s no shortage of positive thinking theories out there, but the one that has resonated with me comes from—no surprise—Brian Clark’s newsletter Further. In his July 6 newsletter, he writes “Positive beliefs can spark a placebo effect that helps us succeed. Conversely, negative beliefs and the accompanying thoughts can keep us “in our heads” and away from a state of optimal performance.”
There’s no doubt it’s been a crappy year, even though it looks like things are starting to look up. We’ve all been battered by a microorganism we can’t even see. Businesses have shut down, people have lost jobs, we’ve all been isolated from loved ones…and so on. Pretty rough, huh?
Our relationships are very important for our general health and well-being. Unfortunately, when this need goes unmet there can be serious mental and physical health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, depression, and dementia. In the US, more than a quarter of older adults and nearly half of women over the age of 75 live alone . Social isolation is considered a risk factor for loneliness, the subjective feeling of being alone. People who live with others, especially if the relationships are of poor quality or strained, can also feel lonely, regardless of the frequency of social contact. (Image courtesy of Justin MacKenzie, 2018)