Depression in Retirement:
Thoughts from Retirees
Depression in retirement is a serious issue. MANY folks find this website simply looking for help with retirement anxiety and depression alone. That's so sad.
Many retirees also suffer from retirement anxiety post-retirement, as they are confused, have nothing to do all day, every day, and simply find themselves totally unhappy.
Retirement is supposed to be the BEST time of our lives! Depression & retirement needs to be kicked to the curb!
Folks retire for a variety of reasons, sometimes thrilled to be FREE from the 9-5 grind of work every day. Others were forced out due to many different reasons (disability, disability of spouse, layoffs). Some survive retirement in a state of bliss -- others, not so much.
What the heck happens?
One day, we are thrilled to be walking out that employer door to FREEDOM in our lives.
The next day (or week), silence invades our life. We don't have the hustle and bustle of work in our lives. Nobody is asking us questions about the job. Nobody calls.
We are alone -- sometimes the partner remains working longer, sometimes we are solo agers, and still others are with married partners who are not happy. Unless the partner has retired and experienced what you are feeling, they won't get it.
Depression & Retirement stories written by real retirees. Learn from their stories AND the feedback left by others.
Below are real retirees sharing their Two Cents on Depression in Retirement
-- in the hopes that their story just MIGHT help the next person who
happens along to this page.
Disability, Then Retirement Marge from Kansas shares her experience when she left her teaching position after a disability...
Discover Yourself - Who Am I? Doreen from Canada has a unique perspective (this gal always does!) Despite disabilities herself, she is a busy lady and very inspirational!
Read some of the Retiree stories below. Learn from their stories, but also from the feedback provided from other retirees. They longer you allow yourself to remain in a depressed state, the more depressed you become and your health also becomes poor.
Don't do that to yourself. You must learn and take action. If you don't care to learn what depressed retirees are feeling, if you are afraid this will pull you deeper, explore Happiness instead!
You can survive this and go on to live a great retired life!
Please Share Your Own Story on Depression/Anxiety After Retirement
Your comments will help others to think about retirement, before leaping into the "depression at retirement" pit. Please share what happened to you so that others can plan ahead accordingly:
- Did you fall into a depression when you retired?
- How long did it last?
- In your opinion, what helped you to break away from the depression?
- How did you walk out that retirement door? Did you voluntarily retire, or did you leave because of a disability, employer forced you out, etc?
- Were you thrilled to leave your employer or was it a difficult decision?
Help & Be Helped: Read about what other Visitors have to Say...
Click below to see contributions from other visitors on this topic:
All Alone and So Depressed
Lost my second young adult child a year ago. Yes have been to grief counseling, talked to my ministers, and I know no one can bring either child back. …
Retirement, Depressed in Scotland
I am struggling to cope and depression and anxiety have resulted, I’m frightened to go out and have little help through the NHS.
Anxious
I retired three months ago from health care. I worked in a large well known hospital, performed hands on care with patients and collaborated with surgeons, …
Retirement anxiety
Since I've retired there have been several people I've worked with or know that were younger than I and have passed on. This makes me sad because I miss …
Depressed: One Year Retired
I took a voluntary retirement from a job I hated about a year ago. I am 58 years old my wife is leaving me or being separated and she should be leaving …
My battle with depression after my retirement has an expiration date.
I still remember my first job as a clerk at a department store in the Bronx, New York when I was 14. From thereon in, I've worked all my life.
I …
I have become irrelevant.
Here is my story, I have worked my entire life from my first job being a paperboy, working at fast food restaurants after high school day was over, bagging …
Retired with no sense of what it would be like
I am a 55 year old male that took early retirement after 18 years, was not financially ready yet had to do it because of stress and anxiety.
My wife …
Retiring with Depression and anxiety
I already have depression and anxiety so retiring next year is very unnerving but also feels like the right thing to do.
I can retire in April 2016 …
Moments of sadness and depression
At the age of 60, I retired at the end of 2013 after working over 35 years with a major company as a mid-level manager.
I had worked all of my life …
Still depressed
I made an entry many months ago about retiring in October 2013, age 62, loving it for 7 months, then my sister got very ill and everything ground to a …
Retired and Sitting all day at the Computer
As he cut back his time at work, my husband complained for two years that he couldn't bear to sit all day at his computer--that it was unhealthy and going …
Feel Useless, Five Years Post-Retirement
Now that I am retired... its been almost 5 years now I feel absolutely useless and as though no one even my family cares about me anymore.
When I worked …
Loosing myself
I retired at 51 with 30+years. I have been retired for 2 years.
Not old enough to attend senior centers (age limit is 55).
I had a job Lined up …
How long???
I would like to share my story...its similar to a lot of other retirees.
Retired in Dec-2014 , age 60, after 32 yrs of state service.
First mistake, …
Fighting Depression in Retirement By Remaining Motivated and Inspired
I retired one year ago and I found myself rather lost at first--kind of like a fish out of water.
I have done over the course of a year several things …
Grief and Retirement
I lost a younger brother in February. I was so debilitated by my grief that I could no longer do my job. My employer was very supportive but past a certain …
Surprised by Things not going according to "Retirement Books"!
Hi All
My retirement was planned to happen in about 2 years when my wife reached 60 (me, 62). Ive had a 35 year career I loved (mostly) but recently …
Forced Early Retirement
This page about forced early retirement is stories written by visitors to this site... all who experienced a forced early retirement.
"Early" …
I was not meant to retire
I worked 34 years at one job and 22 years at another. I was a worker consumed into my jobs.
I raised a son and I'm a Grandfather. I am 63, retired …
Successful Career: Now what?
Hmmmm... what to say really. Some of what I've read I clearly relate to. Although much of what I'm going through is both physical, psychological, emotional, …
Retired and not planned for it
When I first retired I wasn't ready for it. I was financially ready but I found I was depressed about a year after my retirement. To be fair that is because …
Depressed one week into retirement
I was looking forward to retirement for the last couple of years. I had a great fun retirement party and was on cloud 9 until 2 days later.
That …
Maryland Blues and More...
I was most saddening to read the lines from “Depressed in Maryland”, I do feel most deeply for both he and his family during these somewhat ambiguous …
Retirement Depression
Oh Lordy, is this one of the things I have to look forward to in my early retirement in years to come? I retired in 2009 after 30 years in corporate …
Retirees: Ipod May Help Your Depression
I love this video! It shows an old man in a nursing home -- a sad sight for all of us. He is quite obviously living in his own world.
…
Everyone died and then I retired!
Hi. My name is Jim. I'm now 59. I had a great career for 16 years and everything was great. I came from a close family and was living with my fiance. …
Too early to quit, but too late to stay:
I taught school for 29 years. 25 of them were wonderful, but the last four years have been a nightmare. The nightmare came about when we got a new principal …
I see in retrospect that retirement takes preparation
If I had realized that I had less time than I thought, and had taken steps to increase my social network while I was still active and feeling well, that …
Retiremenr Depression
That took me by Surprise
I had to close my psychotherapy practice, sell the house we worked out of, and let my office manager and staff go. After 30 years it was a shock. I had …
Depressed, without purpose,
in Retirement...
I am recently retired and like many longed for leisure time, time to meditate on life and to do things I had always wanted to do.
The problem is that …
Retirement - It's not easy to walk away.
Depression is a kind of disease which can lead to so many problems.
Yes, I had depression after my retirement. It lasted for 1 year and now I am totally …
Retirement: I used to be somebody.
All my life, since I was a teenager, I worked. ]
I've been retired for a year and a half now. I identified myself by my job. My job gave me the money …
Depression in retirement
Please comment below and help Paula past this! Thanks! Wendy
I had a job that was fast, furious and lifesaving.
I was a Adult Protective Service …
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