The person knows that things are going all right. But the reasonableness doesn't seem to last very long and the anxiety takes over again. Severe anxiety can be a crushing condition for the elderly. Frequently living alone, lacking the support system of family members in the home or colleagues to see daily at work, the elderly can spiral into a state of anxiety where worry compounds upon worry. Treating generalized anxiety in the older adult depends on the severity of the anxiety.
Medications can help.
If, in the end, medications may be even more helpful, then that's another therapy - a combination of behavioral therapy and medications can work very, very well. After the person contacts us, we work with them on several questionnaires and surveys about their worries, life satisfaction and quality of their life. We do a thorough physical exam to rule out medical causes. They are small groups, five or six people and the therapist, usually with a pretty varied membership. They exchange stories of course, but the real key is learning to adopt strategies that help manage the anxiety.