MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP: Ageism is related to mental health....

[get the red out]

3. I want to vomit

When people address my Mother in a voice generally reserved for those under 5. I DO NOT want to experience this. I am 53 and I am worried about how to maintain my status as a fucking adult!

Not to mention that it is hard as hell to get mental healtcare for an older person since they want to lump ALL symptoms into a predetermined dementia box. My Mom had to slit her wrist before my sister and I got anything but "she's getting older" from psychiatrists after my Dad passed and wasn't there to cover for her mental health issues. This is horrific. When will I become too old for mental health professionals to take symptoms seriously? I already suffered through an anti-depressant disaster because no one would diagnose it. And that was just typical "patient can't possibly be correct-ism".

And I won't even get started on "can't do things". Fortunately, I have become really into participating in dog agility since we adopted a BC Mix pup 7 years ago, and there are a lot of non-whipper-snappers involved in this. I LOVE seeing 70+ year olds rock a course with their dog. One of the best handlers I have ever seen is now 72, some of the younger guys have to wish they were in as good of physical condition as he is.