Growing old is not only about the physical body weakening. The mind and heart also have to deal with different kinds of challenges, which cannot be easily noticed. Seniors often feel lonely, worried, or sad, but no one pays attention to this. People say, Yeh to umarkataqazahai, which means, This is just age. This attitude makes their suffering invisible and stops them from getting help.

Globally, almost one in six people aged sixty and above is affected by mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. For people in India, twenty to thirty percent of people aged sixty and above can be affected by depression. The actual numbers can be higher because many people in this age group do not discuss their problems openly. For people in Kashmir, the situation is all the more challenging because of the environment and people’s migration to other places.

Growing old is associated with many changes. Old age, retirement, illness, or lack of independence may make them feel........

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