Counseling Seniors Dealing With Anxiety - Sally W.
Anxiety is a growing problem for American seniors, with 14 percent of them dealing with various types of anxiety disorders including social phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD, according to Mental Health America. There are many reasons why anxiety rates are growing among the senior population; financial stress, side effects from medications, loss of independence, loss of loved ones, and in recent times, the threat of COVID-19. While anxiety disorders can significantly impact the functioning of older adults, they often go undiagnosed and untreated which eventually affects their physical health and overall quality of life. This is where you come in; if you are counseling a senior citizen, anxiety is one of the things that you must always be on the lookout for to ensure that they live out the remaining part of their life happily and without any worries.
Getting to the root of the problem during therapy
In many cases, seniors don't know that they have anxiety disorders and even when they know, some choose to keep it to themselves. To help them, you can start by checking for various symptoms of anxiety without directly asking them about it. Some of the symptoms include sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. You may also ask them general questions about their lifestyle to know whether they are facing some of the risk factors associated with anxiety. For example, you can ask about their physical health, quality of sleep, medications they are taking, physical limitations in daily activities, and their history of alcohol or drug abuse. The answers to these questions will go a long way in helping you uncover the source of anxiety so that you can treat it. During therapy, it is important that you practice active listening to make the seniors feel more comfortable to speak freely about their woes.
Helping seniors deal with anxiety
Once you have determined that your patient has an anxiety disorder, it is up to you to explore various treatment options to find one or a combination of treatments that work. There are many treatment options for seniors facing anxiety, and the right approach for your patient will depend on various factors including the root cause of anxiety, their physical health, and their willingness to try it. The first treatment you can try is just talking it out with the senior during your therapy sessions. This involves encouraging them to express their fears, reassuring them that what they're feeling is normal and they can get over it, and reminding them that getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Another treatment option is to encourage your patient to make certain lifestyle changes to see if their symptoms improve. For example, you can encourage them to join a fitness class where they can engage in stress-relieving exercise and interact with other people, boosting their mental health.
There are also various modern technologies that can help seniors combat anxiety, especially those who live alone at home. For example, you can encourage your patient to install smart cameras and sensors at home to keep them safe from various safety and security threats they could be feeling anxious about. Similarly, wearable health monitors can help seniors keep track of their physical health, alleviating anxiety arising out of health concerns. Communication and monitoring devices will also allow them to get in touch with friends, relatives, and medical professionals when they need to. As a last resort, certain medications can also be used to treat anxiety disorders. However, it's important to find out if they're taking any other medications so that you can make prescriptions appropriately.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but when it becomes destructive to a senior's life, it's time to take it seriously. As a counselor, you can play your part by working with seniors to get to the root of the problem and offering treatment options that work for them.
Getting to the root of the problem during therapy
In many cases, seniors don't know that they have anxiety disorders and even when they know, some choose to keep it to themselves. To help them, you can start by checking for various symptoms of anxiety without directly asking them about it. Some of the symptoms include sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. You may also ask them general questions about their lifestyle to know whether they are facing some of the risk factors associated with anxiety. For example, you can ask about their physical health, quality of sleep, medications they are taking, physical limitations in daily activities, and their history of alcohol or drug abuse. The answers to these questions will go a long way in helping you uncover the source of anxiety so that you can treat it. During therapy, it is important that you practice active listening to make the seniors feel more comfortable to speak freely about their woes.
Helping seniors deal with anxiety
Once you have determined that your patient has an anxiety disorder, it is up to you to explore various treatment options to find one or a combination of treatments that work. There are many treatment options for seniors facing anxiety, and the right approach for your patient will depend on various factors including the root cause of anxiety, their physical health, and their willingness to try it. The first treatment you can try is just talking it out with the senior during your therapy sessions. This involves encouraging them to express their fears, reassuring them that what they're feeling is normal and they can get over it, and reminding them that getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Another treatment option is to encourage your patient to make certain lifestyle changes to see if their symptoms improve. For example, you can encourage them to join a fitness class where they can engage in stress-relieving exercise and interact with other people, boosting their mental health.
There are also various modern technologies that can help seniors combat anxiety, especially those who live alone at home. For example, you can encourage your patient to install smart cameras and sensors at home to keep them safe from various safety and security threats they could be feeling anxious about. Similarly, wearable health monitors can help seniors keep track of their physical health, alleviating anxiety arising out of health concerns. Communication and monitoring devices will also allow them to get in touch with friends, relatives, and medical professionals when they need to. As a last resort, certain medications can also be used to treat anxiety disorders. However, it's important to find out if they're taking any other medications so that you can make prescriptions appropriately.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but when it becomes destructive to a senior's life, it's time to take it seriously. As a counselor, you can play your part by working with seniors to get to the root of the problem and offering treatment options that work for them.
