Book Review: Getting Old Without Getting Anxious by Peter V. Rabins, MD

This is one of the hardest book reviews I’ve ever written. Not because the book was bad — on the contrary, it was interesting and very informative. No, I’m having a hard time with this review because of my family. You see, many older members of my family suffer from anxiety disorders, and it would be perfect, really, to tie that in with this review of Getting Old Without Getting Anxious, a book about anxiety disorders in the elderly. Except for one thing. My family sucks, and me pretending to overflow with compassionate concern would be downright dishonest, and I prefer to keep my writing sincere.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Vietnam vet guy? That would be my stepfather: racist, sexist, slovenly, loudmouth drunkard, to whom I wouldn’t give a Valium even if I were crapping bottles of them. Then there’s my neglectful, abusive mother who suffers from what she calls “the nerves”, which I suspect is a kind of generalised anxiety disorder. I love her, but it has taken me around 25 years to make peace with the past and move into a comfortable relationship with her, and that comfort-zone does not include me attempting any kind of intervention with her psychiatric problems. Just getting through a phone call is often hard enough.

The book, Getting Old Without Getting Anxious by geriatric psychiatrist Peter V Rabins, is subtitled, A Book for Seniors, Loved Ones, and Caregivers, in other words, a book for seniors, people who give a damn, and people who are paid to give a damn. I suppose Dr. Rabins wrote this book for familes that are a little more functional than mine, and those families will find a wealth of helpful information and advice within its pages.

Getting Old Without Getting Anxious is divided into three parts. Part One deals with the underlying causes of anxiety and the complexities of diagnosing anxiety disorders in elderly patients, and also some advice for the caring child of an anxious parent on how to talk to a parent about anxiety, and how to engage with an anxious parent in a compassionate way.

Part Two is a more in-depth look at the various anxiety disorders — depression, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic, and phobias. Each chapter covers symptoms (physiological, behavioral, and cognitive), causes, and treatments of the disorder portrayed. These chapters were not written for the purpose of self-diagnosis, but more for gaining a better understanding of each of these potentially debilitating diseases.

Treatments and interventions are given a more thorough look in Part Three, and not just drugs and psychotherapy. Dr. Rabins also investigates the beneficial uses of herbs in the treatment of some anxiety disorders, as well as exercise, meditation, and various relaxation techniques. I have, for many years now, been treating my own panic disorder successfully with a combination of herbs, meditation, and various congnitive “mini-therapies”, so I was pleased to see that Dr. Rabins does not discount healthy alternatives to traditional medical and psychiatric treatments.

Included at the back of the book is an extensive index of helpful organizations and resources, including sources of information on depression and anxiety, caregivers’ associations, outlets for group therapy, nutritional advice, and resources for seniors.

Getting Old Without Getting Anxious contains a few surprises, and may challenge assumptions that many of us have about depression and anxiety, especially in regard to senior citizens. For instance, many people believe that depression is “just a part of growing old”, and may not realize that it can be a far deadlier disease in the elderly than in the young.

In his book, Dr. Rabins also manages to challenge a few personal assumptions I have about psychiatrists — I’ve always tended to see them as money-grubbing megalomaniacs who play god with their patients. No, I’m not a scientologist, I’ve just had a few bad experiences in the psychiatric world. But Dr. Rabins approaches his subject with deep interest and shows compassion and empathy toward his patients and their families. He writes in an incisive but amiable manner, and manages to make his subject matter clear and easily understood without being condescending.

I suppose my one complaint about Getting Old Without Getting Anxious would be that Dr. Rabins makes the assumption that everyone can afford to be choosy about their health care (or is perhaps writing for those who can afford a specialist in geriatric psychiatry), but good specialty care is, at least in the US, becoming increasingly inaccessible to seniors living in poverty.

Nonetheless I am impressed with the volume of valuable information packed neatly and concisely into this book. I intend to pass Getting Old Without Getting Anxious on to my sister, who has far better lines of communication open with my mother and can perhaps better assist in getting her the help she needs. And I can recommend this book to anyone with elderly loved ones, family members or patients who are dealing with anxiety.

Article Author: Che

Mild mannered cartomancer by day, grouchy and reclusive artist and writer by night. Friendly neighborhood voodou-gnostic on good days, wild-eyed tattooed hillbilly witch/bitch on bad days; be-furred, femur-chewing, hell-broth addicted were-thingy on weird days. …

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