Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W.

Artists are working intently when I arrive at the studio -- a large, open loft in an old factory building in the SoHo section of New York City. Some are sitting at tables, some are standing at easels, some are looking at computer screens and a couple are sitting on...

When I walked into the chapel at Saint Peter's Church in New York City, there were about a dozen pairs of people sitting in an open area in front of the pews on folding metal chairs; each couple shared a music stand. They were mostly older adults, though a few...

Are creativity and madness inherently linked? In a word, No! Plenty of creative people are not mad. Is there a statistical association between creativity and some sorts of mental illness or between creativity and some negative emotional states? These are very different questions, to which there seem to be no...

Co-Authored by Michael B. Friedman, MSW and Constantine G. Lyketsos, M.D.

Over the next quarter-century the population of people 65 and older will double. As this happens, the number of people with Alzheimer's or other dementias will more than double because people 85 and older are...

Frank B.* drives a truck to support himself and his family. When he was 47, he injured his back and could not work for several weeks. With the help of physical therapy, an epidural and an opioid prescription painkiller, he was able to return to work;...

"Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined," according to Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[1] Although some overdoses are suicides (at most 1 in 4), usually the deaths are unintentional -- accidents that...

People living with Alzheimer's or other dementias often have mental health problems -- especially depression and anxiety disorders -- as well as dementia. Memories they have always relied on become hazy and uncertain. Knowledge and skills cultivated over a lifetime diminish. Relationships change or are lost. Ordinary activities at work,...

By the age of 88, Mr. W.* had lost most of his closest friends to death or dementia. His children had moved to other parts of the country. He saw them and his grandchildren rarely. He had retired from his long career as a teacher without finding new interests. But...

(Co-authored with Kimberly A. Williams)

Gladys became a drug addict at the age of 82 when the pain of arthritis got to be too much for her and she became dependent on opiates to get through the day and to sleep at night.

Frank became a dangerous, problem drinker at...

Co-authored by Barnett S. Meyers, MD

Antidepressant medications may not be more effective than placebos in the treatment of depression in older adults who also have dementia, and the risks of antidepressant treatment may outweigh the benefits, particularly if the depression is not severe, according to two studies...

This essay was co-authored with Kenneth G. Terkelsen, MD.

Antidepressants are helpful to some older people , but they also have their risks. You and your doctor should weigh the risks and benefits before starting an antidepressant. Keep in mind that

This post was co-authored by Nettie Harper and John Zeisel

You go to the nursing home to visit your mother, who has been living with Alzheimer's for over a decade. She is in the lounge watching TV. She sees you. "Hi Joan, so nice to see you. How are you?...

Aging brings a number of virtually inevitable psychological challenges. Meeting them is often not easy. Preparing ahead of time can help.

The ultimate goal of old age, developmental psychologists tell us, is to achieve "integrity" and to avoid "despair." What they mean, roughly speaking, is that, as you near the...

There was something ironic about New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg calling for special attention to the needs of the "elderly" during the preparations for Hurricane Irene. Born in 1942, he is 69 -- an elderly person.

What he meant, presumably, was that special attention should be...

A study published in The British Medical Journal this month raises questions about the risks of antidepressant medications for adults 65 and older who have been diagnosed with depression. The major conclusion of the article -- that care should be taken in prescribing and in selecting which antidepressant...

Has your doctor ever told you to lose weight and exercise? Did you do it? Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. The chances are 1 in 3 that you've been told that you are medically obese. And chances are you didn't do what the doctor...

Work is a central part of the lives of most people. It is a source of personal identity and self-definition. It is a source of day-to-day structure and of social interaction. Work can be a source of self-esteem. Earning a living adequate to take care of yourself and your family...

"I have two driving forces in my life -- to be creative and to be helpful. If I had to choose one, I would choose to be helpful."

Bernie Kessler -- a retired psychologist and an active, avid, very skilled photographer and photography teacher -- said...

Although depression is not a normal outcome of aging, it is dangerous and one of the most significant barriers to aging well. Fewer than 5 percent of older adults have major depressive disorder in any given year , but as many as 20 percent...

Depression is dangerous and one of the most significant impediments to aging well.

People with depression usually experience a profound sadness and sense of hopelessness that goes far beyond ordinary unhappiness. They often experience terrible psychic pain, which some people report is harder to bear than severe...