 Current research estimates that about 10% of older adults, i.e. over the age of sixty years, experiences anxiety disorders. But actual figures are difficult to establish because, no matter how common such disorders may be, they are not reported by those who suffer and so they go untreated. The symptoms range from simple anxiety where general feelings of inadequacy in the face of a changing world become dominant, through panic in "difficult" situations, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder to a more pervasive Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
All these worries go beyond the entirely rational concerns about health and finance that affect all older people, and actively disrupt the quality of life. Many doctors consider decreasing confidence and increasing anxiety to be a natural part of the ageing process. They are therefore less than sympathetic when patients present with symptoms even though there may be disruption of the sleep cycle and signs of increasing depression. This is a dangerous failure of perception. Statistics suggests that suicide among older adults is more common among those who had GAD than among those diagnosed as depressed.
There are a number of consequences:
- Older adults and their families should become more sensitive to the worries and anxieties they all feel. Family members should monitor their older relatives to see whether they cross the line between "natural" worries and excessive levels of stress suggesting a disorder.
- Precautionary visits to a sympathetic doctor should be made as early as possible. When you go, be confident that there are effective treatments available to help you.
- Drugs such as Xanax in small doses are effective early in the development of the disorders. While there are risks when Xanax is taken by older people, the advantages probably outweigh the disadvantages so long as you use the medication exactly as directed by your doctor.
- Behavioural therapy is effective among older adults, particularly when they join peer groups. You should approach this option with an open mind. While some scepticism is reasonable, you will not gain any benefit if your attitude remains negative and opposed to the very idea of changing your behaviour.
If you work through the options with your doctor, you should be able to find a better way of managing your anxiety levels. As an older person, there are many things that you may justifiably worry about. But it is not reasonable to worry about being worried when there are proven methods for keeping your emotions and fears under control.
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