ABSTRACT
On occasion, senior adults who are functioning reasonably well in their daily lives and do not have a diagnosable affective disorder nevertheless pass through brief episodes of depression and mania. When depressed, they feel sad, listless, pessimistic, and dissatisfied with themselves, their thought processes slow down, and they become behaviorally apathetic and withdrawn. From a psychodynamic perspective, manic episodes can be understood at least in part as defenses against underlying depressive thoughts and feelings. Despite his psychological misfortunes, he has been able to remain in excellent physical health. He looks younger than his age, has no somatic complaints, watches his diet, goes regularly to the gym, and is not taking any medication. The Rorschach data concerning of this man’s cognitive functioning are mostly within normal limits. He appears to be well-organized person who is slightly more likely to focus on details of situations than on their global significance, but who is nevertheless adaptively attentive and precise in viewing his environment.
