Anxiety is a very real issue for many seniors.
Often the people around the person with anxiety feel as if it’s “no big deal,” but it truly is a big deal for your elderly family member. Understanding the different types can help you to support her.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Lots of people experience a small amount of social anxiety when it comes to meeting new people or being in new situations. Wondering if the other people involved will like her can take up a lot of your senior’s bandwidth. Social anxiety disorder is much bigger. This type can cause your senior to actively avoid people because it is just too much.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Again, some level of anxiety is normal throughout life. If your senior is finding that it’s difficult to let go of a worry or she cannot deal with uncertain situations anymore, that’s more than just passing anxiety. Overplanning and overthinking can also be signs of generalized anxiety disorder. This type can be debilitating.
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are something that occurs suddenly and usually without your senior knowing that they’re about to happen. Your senior may become intensely afraid without any real reason. Some panic attacks can happen because of specific triggers, however, like driving after an accident.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is typically connected to a specific traumatic event. Your senior might have nightmares or flashbacks to the specific traumatic event, and this can cause her to feel as if she’s reliving that event every single time. Most people who experience PTSD start to experience symptoms soon after the traumatic event, but it’s not unusual at all for PTSD to start many years after the traumatic event. Sometimes the trigger can be hearing that a friend or a family member experienced similar trauma.
Anxiety: Phobias
A phobia is a very specific and overwhelming fear of a situation or an item. Phobias can cause someone to avoid situations in which they’ll encounter the specific item or situation that they fear. Common phobias include darkness, heights, blood, needles, or spiders. Sometimes people find that they’re able to work through their phobias, but often people simply avoid the trigger.
Depending on your senior’s specific type of anxiety, she may need some extra help with errands, housework, or any number of other situations. Home care providers can offer your senior that assistance. It’s also possible that talk therapy could help your elderly family member.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Buckeye, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Blessings for Seniors Companion Care at (623) 594-0819
Blessings for Seniors makes it possible for older adults to enjoy the comforts of their own home for as long as possible. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as; Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans’ Home Care program.
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