Overview

As the baby boomer generation becomes senior citizens and starts to flood into the last stage of life, a new definition and new expectations of retirement and aging are evolving. This is not your father’s way of being an older adult. People today tend not to retire in a traditional way. They envision getting older as a challenge to stay active and engaged, a chance to reinvent themselves, and an opportunity to reach for new goals. However, for some, this stage of life can be difficult, bringing with it a whole range of new challenges and obstacles. Along the way, many may deal with mental health problems such as stress and anxiety, grief and depression, drug and alcohol abuse, changes in marital and other relationships, as well as elder abuse. Are you ready? How will you fill your new free time? How will you cope with the psychological changes? Let this book, on coping with the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual issues of retirement and aging from a psychiatrist’s perspective, light the way. This book will help readers deal with common issues across a broad spectrum. It offers treatment options, suggests coping skills, and even deals with spiritual and emotional challenges at the end of life. It will help you invest in relationships, redefine your marriage, and broaden your horizons. It will allow you to take charge of your life in retirement and not just let it happen to you.

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9781442251236

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Reviews

Michael Zal turns your retirement fantasy into reality so you can avoid or better cope with the inevitable pot holes - be they social, emotional or physical. His realistic and compassionate insights will ease transitions and help create retirement years that are all you hoped they would be. -- Susan Newman, PhD, social psychologist; contributor to Psychology Today; author of Under One Roof Again: All Grown Up and (Re)learning to Live Together Happily Most people think that the decision to retire is primarily a financial one. While money is important, perhaps more important is being psychologically ready and prepared to retire. This guide will step you through preparing to retire and how to retire successfully. -- Ronald E. Riggio, PhD, Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology, Associate Dean, Claremont McKenna College, Kravis Leadership Institute

While many plan for retirement’s financial challenges, fewer consider its emotional repercussions. Zal, a psychiatrist who retired after 43 years of private practice, offers an enlightening and empowering look at this often neglected aspect of aging. He suggests ways to prepare and cope with the inevitable changes, stressing the importance of planning ahead and embracing new activities and people even before stopping work, and of remaining active, positive, and engaged. Zal also prescribes treatment options and coping skills for dealing with the mental health issues that commonly arise in retirement. He shows how to invest in relationships, broaden horizons, and deal with wellness issues, including depression and grief, problems with marital and sexual relationships, and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He also helps readers determine whether therapy and medication may help. Particularly valuable is a section directed to the needs of caregivers. For those who are planning to retire in the not-so-distant future or have parents doing the same, this book will be a valuable asset to help avoid common pitfalls and make the most of the years to come. * Publishers Weekly * According to Zal, most books about retirement focus on financial planning. Retirees must, however, also plan for emotional and physical challenges. Stressing proactivity and a positive attitude, seasoned psychiatrist Zal examines the broad range of changes brought on by aging that can affect self-esteem, well-being, and relationships. Stress, anxiety, isolation, substance abuse, depression, sexual issues, dementia, and elder abuse are very real concerns, and Zal points out their danger signals. Tips on providing care, choosing appropriate living arrangements, making end of life decisions (will, power of attorney, etc.), selecting nursing homes, and seeking hospice care are also covered. Finally, he explains the importance of treatment in combating common mental disorders and offers practical suggestions for coping with normal life changes. Examples gleaned from his own practice, along with scenarios featuring fictional couple Harold and Vivienne, illustrate his lessons. Urging readers to 'avoid avoidance' and take control of their lives, Zal presents a straightforward, no-nonsense plan that will reassure retiring seniors and their adult children and caregivers. * Booklist * Michael Zal turns your retirement fantasy into reality so you can avoid or better cope with the inevitable “pot holes”— be they social, emotional or physical. His realistic and compassionate insights will ease transitions and help create retirement years that are all you hoped they would be.  -- Susan Newman, PhD, social psychologist; contributor to Psychology Today; author of Under One Roof Again: All Grown Up and (Re)learning to Live Together Happily Most people think that the decision to retire is primarily a financial one. While money is important, perhaps more important is being psychologically ready and prepared to retire. This guide will step you through preparing to retire and how to retire successfully. -- Ronald E. Riggio, PhD, Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology, Associate Dean, Claremont McKenna College, Kravis Leadership Institute

Author Information

H Michael Zal, DO, is a psychiatrist, retired from private practice after forty-three years. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is board certified, a Fellow of American College of Neurology and Psychiatry and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a lecturer, medical writer and editor on mental health topics with numerous published articles to his credit. He was the winner of the Eric W. Martin Memorial Award, presented by the American Medical Writers Association, for outstanding writing and the Frances Larson Memorial Award for excellence. Dr. Zal is also the author of Panic Disorder: The Great Pretender, The Sandwich Generation: Caught Between Growing Children and Aging Parents, and Ten Steps To Relieve Anxiety, Refocus, Relax and Enjoy Life. He is Editor-In-Chief of The Journal of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. He was Chairman of the Psychiatric Service at Metropolitan Hospital in Philadelphia and a member of the University Of Pennsylvania Private Practice Research Group. He was also on the staff of Charter-Fairmount Institute, Mercy Suburban Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Zal received the Albert Einstein Healthcare Foundation Physicians’ Award for Excellence and the Practitioner of the Year Award, from the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society, for outstanding character, dedication, and commitment to patient care.

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