Depression in Older Adults: When ‘The Boss’ Broke Down
From Bruce Springsteen to Michelle Obama, many people confront depression later in life. Here’s how to tell if you or your loved one is just getting older…or if it’s something more serious.
This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression.
When Bruce Springsteen hit his 60s, it was his turn to be rocked. That was when The Boss began experiencing bouts of depression that left him feeling anything but in charge.
“I was crushed between 60 and 62, good for a year, and out again from 63 to 64,” he wrote in his autobiography Born to Run. “All I wanted was the bed, the bed, the bed, and unconsciousness. I spent good portions of the day with the covers up to my nose, waiting for it to stop.”
Fortunately for Springsteen and music lovers everywhere, his wife recognized his distress and helped get him the help he needed. Likewise, older adults such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, and Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman have received professional treatment for depression that emerged later in life.
