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I never thought I would be alone and lonely at age 70,” said my friend “Fred.” Several years ago, he became a widower and lives in a rural community. We talked about how loneliness is an epidemic, and isolation only makes it worse.
Fred has been struggling with depression, and he told me the episodes are getting worse. I followed the protocol advocated if you know someone who is having a mental health crisis. I asked him if he had thoughts of hurting himself. He replied, “No, but I can’t live like this. I am in a dark place.”
Fred is far from alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates for older adults are rising and men are at most risk. “Between 2001 and 2021, suicide rates increased significantly for men ages 55 to 74 and women 55 to 84.” This rise in suicide rates is attributed to many challenges older adults face. Increase in loneliness and isolation. Retirement. Grief over the loss of a partner. Decrease in personal autonomy. Fred was struggling with many of these.