He is a football legend, won three world cups and inspired millions of people, but at 79, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, is depressed, as is the case with almost seven million older adults in the US.
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This is how his son Edinho in an interview with Or balloon where he explains that the soccer star refuses to leave home because he cannot walk without the help of a walker, although in the past he had made some public appearances in a wheelchair.
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It is not that agile scorer who just 50 years ago led Brazil to win the World Cup in that legendary final match against Italy, an idea with which it is difficult to reconcile.
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“It is quite fragile. He had a hip replacement and his rehabilitation was not ideal, which has caused mobility problems and a kind of depression ”, says his son. ” Imagine, he is the king, always such an imposing figure and today he cannot walk well. ”
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Chronic ailments or diseases such as Parkinson’s, cancer and others, especially those that are painful or debilitating, can trigger or worsen the symptoms of depression in people older than many times is mistakenly mistaken for dementia or may even go unnoticed because the symptoms are attributed to other factors of age.
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The former Santos striker underwent several spinal and hip surgeries in recent years, and has also suffered from kidney problems. In 2015 he was operated on the prostate.
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“He is ashamed, does not want to leave, be seen or do practically anything that involves leaving home. It is isolated ”, says his son.
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Isolation is one of the symptoms of depression in older adults that, according to the American Geriatrics Association, includes others such as persistent sadness, a feeling of lethargy, excessive worry about finances or health, frequent leveling, feeling of helplessness or that one is not worth nothing, weight change, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, somatic complaints (upset stomach or unexplained physical pain).
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” For some older adults, sadness is not the main symptom of depression. They may have other less obvious or they may not be willing to talk about their feelings, so it is harder to diagnose. Sometimes they appear tired or irritable. The confusion or attention problems caused by depression may resemble Alzheimer’s disease, ”explained the National Institutes of Health on their website.
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The main feature of a depressive episode is to cover at least two weeks in which the person has the symptoms (loss of interest in activities and decay) most of the day almost every day.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention It affects between 1 and 5% of the general population of older adults, 13.5% of those who require medical attention at home and 11.5% of those who are hospitalized.
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It is not normal
But experts in the field clarify that we should not assume senile depression as a normal part of aging to which we must resign. There are treatments available to improve and it is different from dementia. Detecting the problem and seeking psychological help is the first step.
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Depression is a risk factor for heart problems and can lower defenses, which increases the risk of infections, emphasizes the National Alliance of Mental Illnesses when talking about senile depression.
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