We put my 92 year old father on a low dose of Zoloft (25 mg.) about a week ago, to see if it would help his incredibly mean verbal abuse that seemingly comes out the blue and is always directed at my husband. So far, it seems to be working! He has had anxiety issues for YEARS that never were addressed; OCD issues that were never addressed either so we also have to deal with that.
But I cannot recommend enough that you speak with your elder's internist and ask about prescribing a low dose of antidepressant. The elderly seem to tolerate and metabolize these well and if it makes them a bit more happy and less crabby, combative and verbally abusive....what could be wrong? DO IT!
Sharing our drug experiences here can be very useful background information. But any drugs given to the elderly, including over the county drugs, should be discussed with their doctors!
Hugs to you!
As one who has the condition of depression, I'd be happy to have someone sit me in the sun and love me ... right after they've helped me to appropriate medical treatment. I also have diabetes. You can't love that away, either.
It did not go smoothly and dad was extremely agitated, combative, verbally cruel and did all sorts of scary things, like locking the 3 of us out one school nite (daughter in HS) and refusing to let us in.
We have been able to wean him gently off the 50 mg of Zoloft that he was taking as he began to calm down and adjust much easier as time went on. We have been here 2-1/2 years. I suffer from depression and let me tell anyone who says we are an "overmedicated" society simply is clueless. Having anxiety and continual gnawing worry over one's aging parents, one's teenage daughter (who had a difficult time adjusting but bless her, she rallied & is doing well in college), a husband out of work, myself working in a minimum-wage job along with moving out of the home we had lived in for 17 years...I literally wanted to die; everything seemed bleak and hopeless with no workable solution. There was no opportunity for anyone to sit in the sun and be loved and if someone had come at me with a knife I would probably be dead or wounded badly.
Everyone's situation is different. I am just so glad to see that after all this time many people support my opinion just as many understand that depression is a legitimate disease and the proper medication and talk therapy helps keep it in remission. Thank you to everyone here who has reaffirmed what I said back in 2012. It has been an adventure as it continues to be.