Psychotherapy for Depression
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Anxiety in Older Adults
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John C. Papajohn, PhD70-7 Kirkland
Street
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"Are you still working?"
"Are you still traveling?"
"Are you still playing tennis?"
Questions like these are one reward for being lucky enough to get older. They are the subtle — and not so subtle — reminders that we have been placed in a special category of “has beens” — sometimes referred to as age discrimination.
For some, retirement is a longed for stage when one can shed the responsibilities of work and can focus on doing things that make them happy — like playing poker or riding a bicycle. For others, it is a curse. We feel out of it. Work was a source of individual achievement and an empowerment and identity other than senior citizen. And so we continue to work but have to deal with the constant reminders that we in basic ways are “different.” Some remarks are indeed laudatory, “He still goes to the office every day and maintains his law practice or his business; it’s remarkable.” Other remarks are not so positive. “Why doesn’t he step down and let a younger person have a job or a promotion or what have you?”
Are you an older person who is suffering from depression and/or anxiety? Often, the experiences in this stage of life lead to these feelings. Dr. Papajohn offers assessment, counseling and treatment to help people continue to grow and enjoy life as an older adult.
Depression: Issues to be Addressed in Psychotherapy
- Preoccupation with expected illnesses and death
- Belief that there is no future
- Loss of loved ones (loss of spouse, parents, friends)
- Age discrimination: Being viewed as incapable of performing a job situation or performing a task, such as driving a car
- Physical changes that result in perceived disinterest by members of the opposite sex
- Inability to pursue previously enjoyable recreational sports (tennis, etc.)
Anxiety: Issues to be Addressed in Psychotherapy
- Basic fear of abandonment by others because of aging
- The ultimate loss: Death
- Fear of rejection by the younger others in social situations
- Fear of loss of sexual function
- The distancing by children who moved to other parts of the country or world
Aging with Grace
- The reactivation of previously enjoyed activities, such as painting, writing, etc.
- Finding a significant other when one is widowed or divorced
- Engaging in sports that one is still capable of pursuing, such as tennis
- Expanding social relationships - New friends and renewal of relationships with old friends
Ethnicity of the Individual and How it Impacts on Aging
- For some, connecting with their heritage, that is, their cultural roots, can be a source of renewal
- As hyphenated Americans, we often distance ourselves from our cultural roots, leading to confusion of who we are. As we age and focus on our personal history we need to understand better where we came from, so that we can come to terms with who we are.
About Dr. Papajohn
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Senior Psychologist with 40 years experience in Psychotherapy
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Harvard Medical School Faculty
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McLean Hospital
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Office in Cambridge, MA
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Accessible by T
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Pioneer in use of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression
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Publications:
Intensive Behavior Therapy, (1982), Pergamon Press
The Hyphenated American (1999), Greenwood Press