Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/447803
Health and Wellness Magazine • 21 generaTion cHaLLenged If more baby boomers would take Mathies' healthful approach to combatting life's major pitfalls, today's dark statistics might brighten. According to a 2012 Institute of Medicine report, between 5 and 8 million seniors — a conservative estimate, according to the report's authors — have one or more mental- health or substance-abuse disorders. Add to that a May 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing a surge in suicide attempts among baby boomers — a rise brought to the public attention with comedian Robin Williams' recent suicide — and it's clear: The situation borders on a crisis in this country, the IOM report states. W h i l e t h e r e a s o n s a r e c o m p l e x , e x p e r t s p o i n t t o a n u n p r e c e d e n t e d n u m b e r o f c h a l l e n g e s f a c i n g t h e s e n i o r population for fueling the crisis, among them, isolation, financial stress, chronic pain, substance use and grief and loss (of health, spouse, friends and identity). "Think about a 60-year- old person who is let go from a career that they had planned to remain at for another 10 years," says Joni Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker with the Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network. "They lose income, a social network, an employment identity, daily structure, etc. A major change of that magnitude often results in a domino of negative events." Add to that widespread chronic disease, including rising cases of diabetes, obesity, arthritis and heart disease, and the picture becomes more focused. Williams, who'd long battled substance abuse and depression, was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. "Almost one in four people have at least one chronic condition," says Luci Draayer, a licensed clinical social worker with the Colorado Neurological Institute. Take the regular "boomer dynamics" described above, and then put a disease on top of it, Draayer says. "Life can get kind of crazy." "You've got to look at it not as a pit you've fallen into, but more in terms of dips and turns on this path you never thought you'd be on. You've got to learn how to manage your situation when you're down in the valley, and in that process, know you're going to come back up again." —Luci Draayer licensed clinical social worker with the Colorado Neurological Institute Her touch of wittiness at such a distressing time helped Mathies lay the framework for coping with the debilitating and life- changing disease. "Find some humor in it," says the Centennial resident. "Sometimes, you gotta laugh at it." Although dark days are inevitable, Mathies has since handled the emotional pitfalls of having Parkinson's with an array of tools. She takes advantage of a large support system of family and friends, works out a few days a week with a trainer, golfs regularly and takes an anti-depressant. She's also armed herself with knowledge about her disease, which she uses to help other newly diagnosed Parkinson's patients. "I feel like I've taken it pretty well," Mathies says. "By the time you're 56, you've had a fair amount of experiences in your life, and they all lead up to then. I think I just felt strong enough to handle it." Betsy Mathies uses a variety of wellness techniques to help cope with life's often-increasing challenges, including walks along the High Line Canal near her Centennial home.