There are specific steps people can take to protect their mental health as they age. “We’ve recognized for a long time that certain protective factors help fend off depression in older adults,” geriatric psychiatrist John Sanitato, MD says. He explains what they are and what they might look like in your life or in the lives of older loved ones. 1. Stay (or become) socially active It’s no surprise that having a social support network is one of the keys to good mental health as you age. “It’s really important that people stay connected or get reconnected,” Dr. Sanitato says. That may mean joining a new club or group, reconciling with siblings you haven’t seen in years or calling up old friends to renew past relationships. Neighbors, he adds, can be an especially rich source of social support. 2. Engage with your spirituality Whether you’re devoutly religious or just love spending time in the great outdoors, Dr. Sanitato says that feeling connected to a sense of something bigger than you can go a long way for your mental health as you age. “This doesn’t have to mean following Jesus or the Buddha, though it could,” he continues. “It may mean being a part of an organized religious faith, or it may be participating in a 12-step program, spending a lot of time in the sun or just having some feeling of connection to a higher power.” And active engagement is key, whether it means being involved with your church, synagogue, temple or mosque, or joining a hiking club so you can regularly marvel at the wonders of nature. 3. Find physical activities you enjoy Let’s say you used to be a star athlete, but now your physical health prevents you from participating in the sport you once loved. That can be a real blow to your sense of identity. “Loss of physical function and functional ability — like being unsteady on your feet or having joint issues — can limit your ability to participate in life as you know it,” Dr. Sanitato notes, “but it’s important to try to find adaptive strategies to keep moving and to sustain the social interactions that comes with physical activity.” #WomenAndAlzheimers (fb)

You need your brain to function – and your brain needs you to function at its best. Daily choices you make can have an enormous impact on brain health and help you avoid conditions like dementia. Listen in as psychiatrist Dylan Wint talks about the “Six Pillars of Brain Health.” Here's a snippet of the podcast interview: Dylan Wint: So, the six pillars of brain health are scientifically demonstrated ways of reducing the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders. So, of the six pillars, I would put three of them in a category that I would label as increasing activity. I think our bodies and our brains are made for exploring our environment for encountering and learning new things. And so, three of the pillars are increased physical activity or exercise, increased mental activity, cognitive stimulation and increased social activity, interacting with other individuals. And then the other three pillars, maintaining good physical health. So, taking care of chronic conditions like blood pressure, diabetes, that's one of the pillars. Another one of the pillars is proper amounts of rest and relaxation, and that includes sleep in the appropriate quantities and at an adequate quality of sleep. And of course, the fuel that our bodies and brains need is very crucial. And so, maintaining a good diet and we have specific recommendations about that. To hear the full podcast episode, use this link: cle.clinic/BrainHealthPillars or click the link in our story! #WomenAndAlzheimers (fb)