Category Archives: Psyche

Could You Be Happy With ALS?

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Nancy Perry Graham of AARP wrote a few months ago about sustaining happiness in middle and late adulthood.  She asked three middle-aged or elderly friends who were clearly happy with life what each though was responsible for their positive mood.  As she … Continue reading →

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In case you’re wondering if you live on ….

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Originally posted on All those days that came and went …:
Dear Mom, In case you’re wondering how, or even if, you live on in our lives — I wanted to reassure you that the seeds you so carefully sowed all…

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“Wish I’d Had the Courage to Live a Life True to Myself”

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Bronnie Ware, a nurse who for years gave palliative care for terminally ill adults, has described the top five regrets that her patients expressed.  I wrote earlier about the regrets of older adults, so I was interested in the items on … Continue reading →

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Depression in Older Adults: Treatment

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

This is the last of a series of posts about depression in older adults.  The first post was on symptoms; the next two (here and here) were on causes.  This post is about treatment. Since depression in the elderly may be difficult to distinguish … Continue reading →

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John Paul II on Contributions of the Elderly: Wisdom and Story

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

In 1999, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter which he addressed “To my elderly brothers and sisters!”  In it he reviewed Biblical passages pertinent to the elderly, reflected on the role of the elderly in society, and provided pastoral … Continue reading →

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On the Superfluity of Electric Power, the Internet, and Other Newfangled Inventions

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

James Thurber, in My Life and Hard Times, described his grandmother’s suspicions of electricity, at the time a new and mysterious technology.  She “lived the latter years of her life in the horrible suspicion that electricity was dripping invisibly all … Continue reading →

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Depression in Older Adults: The Role of Stress

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been writing about the nature and causes of depression in older adults.  I posted earlier about the role of genetic predispositions and past experiences in producing depression in the elderly.  Current stressors also play a role, and that will be the topic of this post.  … Continue reading →

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Should We Become Elderly or Just Grow Old?

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

The term “elderly” has fallen on hard times.  A recent NPR segment by Linton Weeks reports that listeners objected to an NPR story that described a 71 year-old midwife as elderly.  One listener wrote “I was 70 in Feb and … Continue reading →

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Did you see the 500lb Gorilla?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Originally posted on All those days that came and went …:
Have you seen the basketball video clip often shown in corporate effectiveness training classes, where you’re asked to count how many times the white team passes the ball from one…

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Depression in Older Adults: Causes

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Bob Ritzema

Last week, I posted about the characteristics of depression in the elderly.  I’m now following up with a discussion of the causes of depression in this age group.  What causes depression in the elderly is quite similar to what causes depression at other … Continue reading →

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