Anxiety in the Golden Years: How to Cope with Fear in Older Age

You feel your heart suddenly racing. Beads of perspiration appear on your forehead. Your stomach churns and breathing becomes shallow. Your mind spirals into an endless abyss of thoughts and emotions. That’s when you know anxiety has hit you.

For the uninitiated, anxiety is a normal part of the body’s fight or flight mechanism in which we experience fear, worry or apprehension, often triggered by stress or some form of perceived danger. Within control, anxiety is often a tool to channel focus and boost energy levels. But when it snowballs into a disorder beyond a temporary feeling, it can have a rather detrimental impact.

While anxiety is common across age groups, as many as 20% of older adults in the US have reported anxiety issues, with the actual number estimated to be much higher. This is primarily due to underreporting by affected individuals due to the stigma associated with mental health. 

What Leads To An Anxiety Disorder?

Researchers believe that there can be multiple risk factors at play that trigger anxiety in individuals. In seniors, this is usually a mix of any of the following:

• Death of a partner/spouse
• Financial issues
• Limited physical mobility
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Trauma from past event
• Chronic health condition (like obesity or diabetes)
• Loneliness
• Medication side effects
• Cognitive decline

A combination of any of these factors can cause anxiety disorders in older adults. 

What Are The Signs Of An Anxiety Disorder?

One of the most common and obvious signs of the onset of an anxiety disorder is an uncontrollable feeling of panic, fear and apprehension, commonly also referred to as ‘panic attacks’. Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping) and recurring nightmares are other common traits. Other possible signs could be:

• Nausea
• Excessive perspiration 
• Ritualistic behavior (eg: washing hands)
• Obsessive thoughts 
• Trembling
• Frequent headaches and tense muscles
• Decreasing concentration span 

In silos, these symptoms may not be a sign of an anxiety disorder. However, when many of them are experienced frequently, these are possible symptoms.

Why Does Anxiety Affect Seniors Differently?

Seniors face a set of unique challenges and circumstances, which often combine to create a sense of anxiety. American seniors have to battle it out alone, with 37% of US adults aged 50–80 reported feeling lonely, and 34% reported feeling socially isolated in 2023. Loneliness is one of the leading causes of anxiety and seniors in the US are no strangers to the same. Seniors also battle with aging. Some of the physical symptoms of anxiety, like rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and dizziness are likely to be more common in seniors than in older adults. This could be a classic case of self-misdiagnosis, wherein people who do not suffer from anxiety feel like they do, leading to actual stress.

Chronic health conditions and medical issues like cognitive decline, arthritis and heart problems can also be an anxiety-inducing experience for older adults. People with long-term illnesses are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders as well. Seniors also undergo life transformation. Not everyone copes well with retirement, moving into old age homes, losing spouses and the loss of independence. Finally, a fear of falls, hospitalization, or becoming a burden can create chronic worry, leading to avoidance behaviors and further isolation. This again culminates into some form of anxiety disorder. 

What Are The Coping Strategies For Seniors?

1. One of the easiest ways to battle anxiety is to talk about it. Sharing feelings and emotions can reduce anxiety. Social interaction generally reduces stress reactivity, so an individual builds resilience against potential and existing triggers. Joining an online or in-person support group for those with anxiety disorders or chatting with a trusted friend or family member can be a great first step.
2. To get a grip on the physical symptoms of anxiety like a racing heartbeat and shallow breathing, indulging in activities like meditation, yoga and deep breathing can be great levelers. A person could also opt for activities that they like like listening to music, cooking or having a light workout. All this can shift the focus and thought process of the mind to a different and more positive direction.
3. Sleep can also be a great antidote to anxiety. This is because deep sleep can reorganize brain connections and restore the brain’s emotional regulation mechanism. A sleepless night can increase anxiety by up to 30%. Hence, having a good quality sleep for 7-8 hours can be a great strategy.
4. Seeking professional help can also be another option on the table for seniors. Seniors should seek professional assistance and get a medical evaluation done by their GP or a nurse practitioner with the requisite qualification from AGNP online programs to rule out medical conditions that exacerbate or mimic anxiety. 
5. Having some form of predictable daily schedule also adds a sense of stability. Fixing times for waking up, having meals and going out can add familiarity and reduce stress.

Older adults have been there and done that. They have passed the many hurdles to life to finally enter the golden age. To vanquish the demons of anxiety, seniors should focus on finding the root cause of the problem and exterminating the same. Seeking professional help could help figure that out faster. After that, it is all about focusing on the smaller things: daily routine, social connections, adequate sleep and a healthy lifestyle.