Depression in the Elderly Center - Las Cruces, NMLas Cruces Psychiatrist Doctors for Depression in the ElderlyType of Physician: Psychiatrist What is a Psychiatrist? A certification by the Board of Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners are skilled in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental, addictive and emotional disorders. He or she is trained to understand the biological, psychological and social components of illness and is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, as well as to evaluate and treat psychological and interpersonal problems. The psychiatrist is also prepared to intervene with individuals and families who are coping with stress, crises, and other problems in living. Specialty: Psychiatry Common Name: Psychiatrist Doctors in Las Cruces * Harold E Alexander MD  Daniel J Brandt MD  Abraham Fiszbein MD  Ernest A Flores MD  Rio Valle Behavioral Health Centre II PA Las Cruces, New MexicoUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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Depression in the ElderlyRead the Depression in the Elderly article » How does depression in the elderly differ from depression in younger adults?Depression in later life frequently coexists with other medical illnesses and disabilities. In addition, advancing age is often accompanied by loss of social support systems due to the death of a spouse or siblings, retirement, or relocation of residence. Because of changes in an elderly person's circumstances and the fact that elderly people are expected to slow down, doctors and family may miss the signs of depression. As a result, effective treatment gets delayed. Many seniors find themselves trying to cope with symptoms that could have been easily treated. Depression tends to last longer in elderly adults. It doubles their risk of cardiac diseases and increases their risk of death from illness. At the same time, depression reduces an elderly person's ability to rehabilitate. Studies of nursing home patients with physical illnesses have shown that the presence of depression substantially increases the likelihood of death from those illnesses. Depression also has been associated with increased risk of death following a heart attack. For that reason, making sure that an elderly person you are concerned about is evaluated and treated is important, even if the depression is mild. Depression in the elderly, especially elderly white men, is more likely to lead to suicide. The suicide rate in people ages 80 to 84 is more than twice that of the general population. The National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in people age 65 and older to be a major public health problem.
How is insomnia related to depression in the elderly?
Insomnia is usually a symptom
of depression. New studies reveal that insomnia is also a risk factor for
depression onset and To treat insomnia, experts recommend the newer "... Recommended Reading Related to Depression in the ElderlyWhat is Binswanger's Disease?Binswanger's disease (BD), also called subcortical vascular dementia, is a type of dementia caused by widespread, microscopic areas of damage to the deep layers of white matter in the brain. The damage is the result of the thickening and narrowing (atherosclerosis) of arteries that feed the subcortical areas of the brain. Atherosclerosis (commonly known as "hardening of the arteries") is a systemic process that affects blood vessels throughout the body. It begins late in the fourth decade of life and increases in severity with age. As the arteries become more and more narrowed, the blood supplied by those arteries decreases and brain tissue dies. A characteristic pattern of Binswanger's disease-damaged brain tissue can be seen with modern brain imaging techniques such as CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). What are the symptoms of Binswanger's disease?The symptoms associated with Binswanger'... Other Related Depression in the Elderly ArticlesEmergency Contact for Las Cruces
Nearby Las Cruces Hospitals *MountainView Regional Medical Center Memorial Medical Center Mesilla Valley Hospital Peak Psychiatric Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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