January 26, 2025 — Episode #56

Content note: this episode includes brief discussion of statements like “I wish I could die” among people facing serious illness or loss.

Jerry and Becky Drace continue their conversation on depression in senior adults, rounding out the list of causes and turning to how to recognize the warning signs.

They cover relocation, lack of encouragement, and isolation as major contributors to depression in older adults, sharing stories from retirement communities and their own extended family. They then walk through the signs of depression itself — persistent sadness, social withdrawal, prolonged crying spells, frustration over memory loss, and changes in eating or sleeping — while cautioning that these signs shouldn’t be dismissed as “just getting old.” Becky references a well-known author and speaker who has lived with quadriplegia since a diving accident as a teenager, using her story to show how a person’s value doesn’t diminish with declining health. The episode closes with a preview of next week’s new series on divorce.

Topics discussed:

• Relocation and its emotional toll on aging adults
• The importance of encouragement for retirees who feel “unproductive”
• Isolation and loneliness as drivers of depression
• Recognizable signs of depression, from withdrawal to crying spells
• Job’s example of honest lament in Scripture
• A well-known author’s story of finding purpose after paralysis
• Preview of an upcoming series on divorce

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