Grief vs. Depression

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Grief vs. Depression | Summit Healthcare | Show Low, AZLosing a loved one, getting diagnosed with a chronic illness, or retiring and feeling a lack of purpose are all stressful life events that can make older adults grieve or feel sad.

LOSING A LOVED ONE, getting diagnosed with a chronic illness, or retiring and feeling a lack of purpose are all stressful life events that can make older adults grieve or feel sad.

Although they share symptoms, grief and depression aren’t the same. People with either condition may experience sadness, anxiety, tearfulness, and insomnia. However, grief is generally short lived—symptoms are often mild and last less than two months. Depression occurs when someone not only feels depressed, but also experiences symptoms, such as appetite loss, inability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of suicide, that severely hinder his or her daily life for at least two weeks.

Depression is common among older adults—but it should never be considered an inevitable part of aging. Talk to a doctor if you or a loved one experiences any symptoms mentioned above. Depression can be treated.

Caring for Our Seniors

Summit Healthcare’s Senior Behavioral Health Unit will open in mid-2020. The unit will offer a short-term inpatient mental health program for older adults, providing quality treatment by a team of healthcare providers in a caring and compassionate environment.

The 12-bed unit will be designed to evaluate and treat adults who have psychiatric conditions with and without concurrent medical issues. We specialize in treating acute emotional and behavioral concerns, such as dementia, adjustment difficulties, and depression.

Our goal is to return seniors to an optimal level of functioning in a timely manner with a plan of continued care after discharge.

If you or someone you know is struggling with grief or depression, Summit Healthcare is here to help. Visit our Community Resources page for a list of support available in our local area, and our Find a Doctor tool is always available.

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