Mental Illness is Progressive and Left Untreated Generally Gets Worse Over Time

[dlk]

The one fact that seems to be lost in the discussions about the devastating losses of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain is that mental illness is progressive. If left untreated, over time, it generally exacerbates.

[Phoenix61]

1. Depends on the diagnosis

That being said, a lot of symptoms of depression are considered part of the "normal" aging process; lack of energy, diminished interest, weight and sleep changes etc. so the depression goes undiagnosed. Treating with meds can be tricky because dosing levels for older adults are different. Geriatric psychiatrists are good at this but they are few and far between.