Drs. Oz and Roizen Answer Questions About Aging

Dear Drs. Oz and Roizen,

My mother passed away two years ago, and since then my father has become very withdrawn.  I try to get him to socialize with friends, but he only wants to watch TV.  How do I get him out of his shell?  Mom was always the social one, but I think Dad needs people in his life, too.

I appreciate any help.

Corrie, Biloxi, MS

Loss of a significant other is a major life stressor and cause of depression. (If your father's friends and others in his life are feeling uneasy or down after interacting with him, it's likely that he's depressed and needs medical help, your help, and friends more than ever).   His withdrawal also makes it more likely that the loss will age him.  So in addition to making sure he gets adequate food (appetite often goes, and that makes the depression worse due to lack of essential omega-3 fats and probably key vitamins), keep exploring ways to get other friends to engage with him.  This time is one time to call in favors to have friends, even distant ones, engage your dad, and for you to spend extra time dragging him to eat fish, or DHA supplements from algae, or walnuts, and to walk with you.

Drs. Oz and Roizen,

Is it true that doing things like crossword puzzles helps to keep the mind sharp?

Henry in Phoenix, AZ

Absolutely--but only if you can't do the puzzle or at least cannot do it easily.   Constantly challenging yourself build connections between brain cells that keeps you sharp.  So for you, let’s say you can always do Wednesday’s crossword puzzle, but you get barely half of Sunday’s answers. So while the best thing for your ego may be for you to continue to master Wednesday’s puzzle, the best thing for your brain would be to continue taking a whack at Sunday’s (as long as it’s not so frustrating that there’s no fun in doing it). Just like an athlete becomes faster or stronger by training to attain goals that are just out of reach, you can train your brain to stay smarter and sharper.