Depression and Anxiety as We Age: Advocate Good Shepherd Hosts Senior Breakfast Club Support Group

Barrington, IL- Join us for a free continental breakfast on Wednesday, October 17 from 9 – 10:30 AM at Good Shepherd Hospital, 450 W Highway 22, Barrington, IL 60010, as we discuss how to deal with depression and anxiety as we age.  Depression is not a normal part of aging, but it is common among older adults. It is important to realize that depression and anxiety do not dictate your life and that support is available. 

The event will feature clinical psychologist, Claudia Pitts, PhD, as a guest speaker to discuss coping with emotional changes as we age.  According to Dr. Pitts, “everyone feels sad or lonely from time to time, but when these feelings persist for several weeks and interfere with your daily life and functioning, it may be considered clinical depression.” 

As get older, we are faced with difficult life changes that may cause stress, sadness, and anxiety.  For instance, the death of a loved one, transitioning into retirement, or dealing with a serious illness can be emotionally trying and difficult to handle at times.  Sometimes, we can cope with these changes and eventually move past them; other times, these events can be crippling and leave us feeling hopeless. 

Clinical depression can be especially hard to recognize in older adults.  Their symptoms are either less obvious or attributed to normal grief, and senior’s may not openly share their feelings of sadness.  Common symptoms of depression include feeling: nervous, empty, guilty, worthless, tired, restless, or irritable.  Changes in sleep and eating habits, or persistent physical pain for unknown reasons may also indicate a depressive disorder. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms or you believe a friend or family member is depressed, don’t wait to seek help.  Register for the Senior Breakfast Club event at 1.800.3ADVOCATE (1.800.323.8622) and request the class code: 3S20.  You may also register online at www.advocatehealth.com/gshp. 

About Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital

Advocate Good Shepherd in Barrington, Illinois is a 169-bed acute care hospital with more than 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties. It is part of Advocate Health Care, named one of the Top Ten hospital systems in the U.S. by Thomson-Reuters. Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is ranked highest in Illinois for quality and patient safety according to BlueCross BlueShield and exists to serve its communities.  For more about Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital: www.advocatehealth.com/gshp Shield’s 2011 Blue Star Report™.  Advocate is a faith-based organization

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