Physical Effects

Part of the aging process often includes increased prevalence of chronic physical disease.Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system involving a deficiency of dopamine in the basal ganglia. It leads to muscular rigidity, difficulty in initiating movement, shuffling gait, resting tremor, and a flat unchanging facial expression. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Other common disorders in older adults are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, thyroid disturbances, cerebrovascular accidents, and cancer. Many older adults also suffer from adverse medication effects. This can be due to physiological changes in the ability of their bodies to absorb the drug or change the ability of the drug action. These side effects can lead to what appear to be symptoms of psychological disorders. Other problems associated with aging include falls, sleeping, appetite, dementia, and pain.

It is very important to not self-diagnosis.  With so much information available to us on the Internet today this can be tempting, but mental health issues can have very real effects on your function and needs the attention of a mental health professional.

Because of the wide variety of reasons that can cause experience symptoms and the complexities and subtleties of professional diagnosis and treatment, feel free to call me to discuss further. I am experienced and trained in a variety of treatment and assessment methods.  Contact a licensed mental health professional or your family doctor if you have concerns.  Prairie Owl Psychology & Counselling is waiting to help with all your Edmonton psychologist needs, call Today.