Maryland Peace of Mind: Mental health in later life
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WEEKEND. JENNIFER: IN THIS MORNING'S MARYLAND PEACE OF MIND, AS WE AGE, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT CEOM IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH? WHAT CAN WE DO TO STAY WELL. 11 NEWS REPORTER THEO HAYES TALKS WITH AN EXPERT TO FIND OUT. THEO: JOINING US RIGHT NOW, KIM BURTON WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND. SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE A NORMAL PART OF AGING. IS THAT TRUE? >> IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. THAT'S ONE OF THEIG B MYTHS AND STIG NA MA WE MUST DISPEL. THEO: WHAT ARE COMMON MYTHS AMONG OLDER ADULTS. >> DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THEO: THERE ARE RKIS FACTORS AND HOW DO COMMON AGING EXPERIENCES PLAY INTO ALL OF THIS? > VERY, VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION. OLDER ADUSLT ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF COMMON EXPERIENCES THAT ARE -- TT HAPPEN IN LATE LIFE. >> SO THISNG LIKE HOS OF HEARING OR HEALT HCONDITIONS, DO TYHE PLAY INTO THIS? >> YES. LOSS OF HEARING, LOSS OF VISION, LOSS OF FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES, LOSS OF OPPORTUNITY TO ENGEAG IN ACTIVITIES THAT PEOPLE ENJOY. AND THAT'S OENFT CAUSED BY THINGS LIKE HEALTH CONDITIONS OR PAIN OR SLEEP PROBLEMS. THINGS TTHA ARE MORE COMMON IN LATER LIFE. THEO: SO SOME OLDER PEOPLE MAY SHY AWAY, I THINK, FROM SEEKING PROFESSIONALHE LP, MAYBE THINKING THAT IT'S AN ADMISSION OF SOME SORT OF WEAKNESS. HOW DO WE MOVE BEYDON THAT? >> I TNKHI WE MOVE BEYOND THAT WITH EDUCATION. SO TTHA OLDER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR BRAIN IS AN IMPORTANT ORGAN O OFUR BODY, LIKE OUR HEART, KIDNEY, LIVER, LUNG. AND WHILE WE PAY ATTENTIONND A TAKE CARE OF THE HEALTH OF THOSE ORGANS, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE ORGAN OF OUR BRAIN. SCIENCE IS TEACHING US THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CTRONOL OVER THE HEALTH OF OUR BRAIN, ANDUR O MENTAL WELLNESS. BUT WHEN OLDER ADULTS WERE GROWING UP, THEY WERE GROWING UP IN A TIME WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THEO: DEFINITE,LY THERE IS A STIGMA WITH MENTAL HEALTH. DO YOU THINK THAST' ERODING? >> ALT BIT. AS THE BABY BOOMERS ARE GROWING UP, AND THEY EMBRACE AND UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH, WE ARE SEEING LESS STIGMA AND MORE ACCESSO T HEALTHCARE. THEO: THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S CERTAINLY GOOD. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT OLDER ADULTS CAN DO IN DLYAI LIVES TO STAY MENTALLY HEALTHY? >> IT'S VERY IMPTAORNT FOR THEM TO SYTA ENGAGED WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WE'RE SOCIAL BEINGS, WE NEED SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. SO DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINGNI RELATIONSHIPS IS IMPORTT.AN ALSO, STIMULATING THE BRAIN WHIT DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES THAT KEEP US SHARP. NUTRITION IS VERY IMPORTT.AN HYDRATIONS I VERY IMPORTANT. ALONG WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AREN'T NORMAL PART OF AGING. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTDAN DEMENTIA IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING EITHER. TAKING CARE OF THE BINRA INVOLVES ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES THAT HELP WITH MENTAL AND COGNITIVHEE ALTH. THEO: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT OUR VIEWERS TO KNOW? >> I WANT TMHE TO KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OF RESOURCES THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND AND WE HAVE GUIDE BOOKS SPECIFIC TO MENTAL HEALTHND A AGING. GUIDE BOOKO T MENTAL WELLNESS THAT IS FREE THROUGH THE MENTAL HETHAL ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND. >> OKAY. WELL, KIM BURTON WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US. >> THANK Y.OU JENNIFER: WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE GUIDE BOOK KIM MENTIOD.NE IT'S CALLED MENTAL HEALTH IN LATER LIFE. IT'S FREE FRO
Maryland Peace of Mind: Mental health in later life