grrr...

Vent session...
Depression and sadness aren't the same thing.
Just because someone has Alzheimer's Disease does not mean they are also automatically depressed.
If someone is sad because of a loss, the answer is NOT to put them on anti-depressants.

For our clinical activity a few weeks ago, we had to go to facilities where older adults with cognitive deficits were in long-term care. We interviewed them, and posted some of our experiences on an open discussion board for our class. So many people commented that "maybe this person couldn't answer the questions because he was depressed," or "maybe her sense of humor was really just a mask for depression." Good grief! Age doesn't mean depression--Alzheimer's doesn't mean their humor is fake! By the way, how can you "fake" not being depressed? Wouldn't that just be "good coping skills," in which case clinical depression would not be the diagnosis?

As my ABD in School Psychology friend says frequently, "As the confessionals empty out, the psychiatrists' offices fill up."
She's really got a point. We've come to a place where we think anything can be fixed with a pill, and everyone is expected to be on something. If a widower with Alzheimer's disease isn't taking medication for depression, let's suspect he's masking it with a sense of humor.

HUH???!!!