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As we age, we take a journey from a life that once felt alive and was shaped by work and family responsibilities to a life now shaped by personal choice. Today we may fill our days with travel, join a club for older adults, return to school, volunteer or become involved in a wide assortment of leisure activities. Age brings with it many positive changes that create a sense of excitement, purpose and freedom within us. But sometimes these same changes can be disruptive and challenging. We may suffer losses due to retirement, moving from the family home, death of partner and/or close friends. Our role in the family may change. Our decision-making ability may decrease and our dependency on others may increase. We may experience loss of vision, hearing and balance, slowing mental functions and chronic disease and disability.
All of these changes can lead to sadness, loneliness, frustration, isolation, inadequacy, and loss of self-confidence or depression. We may experience several life changing events at one time which can be very overwhelming. In our struggle to cope, we may use alcohol, medication or gambling as a way to escape. If these ways of coping temporarily ease the pain or increase social interaction it is easy to understand how they can readily be misused. This misuse in turn can lead to more sadness, loneliness, frustration, isolation, inadequacy, and loss of self-confidence and depression.
Although, we cannot prevent the changes that occur in the process of aging; but we can offer you an opportunity to explore alternative ways of coping with these changes in a supportive environment. This exploration may take place in the comfort of your home or during individual meetings, presentations or group sessions. Click her to enter our Older Adult page
Submitted by: Melissa Pudas, Evelyn Bakich 2002
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