How can you keep track of your mental health as you age? A study from the World Health Organization claims that about 14% of senior adults battle a mental disorder. These include neurological conditions like dementia, as well as mental conditions like depression.
Cedar Rapids has long been the economic hub of Iowa, and we're proud to serve as a great location to spend your golden years. Whether you're here for the proximity to cities like Des Moines and Iowa City or to see the beautiful Cedar River, we're proud to have you.
How does stigma affect mental health, and how can we overcome that stigma? If you're curious about the mental wellness that aging individuals face, we're here to help. Read on to learn more about emotional care in later life, emotional health, and more.
Before we dive in, what is stigma, and how does it affect us? Stigma is a negative idea of something, most often based on bias or ignorance. The mental health stigma is the belief that mental health shouldn't be discussed, or in some cases, doesn't matter.
This stigma is mostly something that comes from a generational divide. Younger generations tend to focus on mental health, seeing it as something normal and worth focusing on.
In contrast, older generations don't focus on mental health much at all. Instead, some even believe that mental health is barely something that exists!
It's much less common for seniors to reach out about mental health. According to a study published by Health In Aging, they are more likely to avoid speaking out about mental health.
While we know that it's mostly generation-based, what causes this? Is there a reason that seniors find mental health not worth addressing?
One reason is that they tend to see it as something to be ashamed of. According to a study in Mental Health in Family Medicine, older generations often viewed mental health as a sign of weakness. As a result, they often believe it shows weakness to reach out.
Many seniors also fear that mental health issues can lead to losing independence. Some fear that stating they're battling mental health issues will cause loved ones to restrict them.
In many conditions, exploring emotional care in later life can get rid of these misconceptions. We're proud to offer a robust and safe assisted living community that can help manage your mental health.
Another issue is that some people don't consider the link between neurological conditions and mental health. Instead, many believe that conditions like dementia are a natural, normal part of aging.
Sadly, these opinions often come from an ageist point of view. Aging and mental health should not be discarded as a normal and acceptable part of life. Instead, we should work to raise awareness around these conditions.
How does stigma affect mental health? Is this something making a large impact, or is it a category we can largely ignore?
It's an unfortunate reality that stigma has a huge impact on our senior citizens. Primarily, the issue is that stigma makes it so that seniors refuse to reach out for assistance. Instead, they believe that they're weak for needing to reach out at all.
This causes a significant barrier between communication and wellness. The effect also compounds, as seniors hesitate to reach out since no one else they know has reached out!
The end result of this is a massive miasma of isolation and loneliness. Seniors never reach out, which causes this isolation, which only worsens their symptoms as time goes on.
According to Psychiatry.org, the isolation is far from the only issue. There are plenty of other negative symptoms impacting our seniors from this stigma. Some of these are:
How can we fight back against this awful stigma? While the problem is widespread, it's far from something we can't defeat. Here are the best ways to fight the stigma against mental health.
Our first step is educating people about the stigma and mental health realities. Seniors are the ones who need such education, as the stigma is mostly from older generations toward each other.
One main factor in this is the misconception that mental health and neurological conditions like dementia are standard. Such a belief causes these issues to be overlooked as the norm rather than treated.
Removing this stigma starts with educating our seniors. Many communities offer activities that work to improve mental health. Browse our upcoming activities to see how you can get involved.
Unfortunately, many people approach mental health with an"out of sight, out of mind" mentality. For conditions that aren't readily visible, such as depression, this causes massive problems.
The best fix is to have empathy and understanding for your fellow seniors and loved ones. Consider what they've endured and how it would affect you. Would you want to be seen as weak for having such struggles?
Another important fix is to encourage seniors to seek treatment and care. Doing so will help them to understand that there's nothing weak about seeking aid.
While this seems like a monumental step, it's the most important one of all. Not only does this help offer behavioral health support, but it puts us all on a path to wellness.
How does stigma affect mental health? The stigma against mental health causes seniors to refuse to seek care, or even to acknowledge that they need care at all. We can battle this stigma through education, encouragement, and empathy.
Prairie Hills at Cedar Rapids is proud to offer you a community where you can focus on your mental health and wellness. We focus on making life enjoyable and stress-free, encouraging workshops, group outings, local attractions, and fresh, flavorful, daily meals. Contact us to see how we can help bolster your mental health.