contamination. The intrusive thought may tell
the person that they didn’t clean well enough and
will become ill; this could prompt the individual
to wash their hands until it causes injury.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
can occur in anyone that has experienced a
very stressful event, such as being a victim of a
crime, being in a car accident, or becoming very
ill or hospitalized. PTSD causes nightmares,
flashbacks of the event, numb emotions, being
easily startled, and feelings of anger, irritability,
or distraction. Anxiety symptoms may also occur.
However, anxiety and depression
tend to be under-recognized,
underdiagnosed, and undertreated
in older adults.
distressing, anxiety is common and treatable and
does not mean a person is hysterical or fragile
— it means that their “fight or flight” nervous
system is over-active in response to stimulus.
This affliction is controlled usually by therapy,
medication, or a combination of both.
People with chronic illnesses, lung diseases, heart
diseases, thyroid disease, alcohol abuse or misuse, Depression is the most common mental health
stressful life events, negative childhood diseases, disorder in aging adults. Depression is defined
and sleep disturbances are all at a higher risk for as an intense, prolonged period of low mood
anxiety disorders. Though anxiety disorders are
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