There are many types of loss when it comes to people in our lives. It's not just death that can take a loved one away from us. Other types of losses can be just as difficult to cope with, for example when a loved one suffers from a form a dementia or suffers a brain injury. The person we love is still there, but they are different, they possibly cannot remember us, look at people they have known for years as if they are strangers, their moods and personality changed forever or on a gradual...
Lancet Public Health journal has concluded that of 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia, 38 per cent were ‘directly related to alcohol’ and that 18 per cent had previous alcohol use disorders.
It added that patients with alcohol use disorders had a three times greater risk of developing all types of dementia.
The study was carried out using the French National Hospital Discharge database, which looked at more than a million people who received a dementia diagnosis between 2008 and...
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia; a term used to describe a set of symptoms, such as memory loss, difficulties thinking and language, and in some cases, changes in behaviour and mood.
Currently, there are more than 520,000 people in the UK with Alzheimer’s disease. Worldwide, it’s estimated over 46 million people are living with some form of dementia.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. Meaning that over time, the brain becomes more...
Emotions are a strong feeling deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. Your emotions represent who you are; they can help you to make sense of self, environment and the relationship that you have with others. Emotions can be both positive and negative. Regardless of whichever one it is, it is important to understand and feel the emotion. People who have grown up in an environment where they were not allowed to express their views or talk about their emotions often...
Dementia has touched my life personally and professionally, and I would like to do all I can to help promote awareness of this progressive disease of the brain. I turn my thoughts to the extreme impact dementia can have upon the world of those who live with this progressive disease day in, day out. From what clients have told me, their worlds often diminish as their friends and family stop making contact. This is particularly sad since, with enough support in the early stages, it is possible...
As a counsellor currently involved in dementia training, with experience in befriending and running activities in a nursing home, a trustee of Age Concern North Norfolk and part of the Dementia Friendly Steering Committee in Cromer and Sheringham, I am very aware of the loss that people suffer when a loved one is stricken down with dementia. I live in a part of the world where there is a particularly high proportion of elderly people as so many folk retire here. Dementia is something that is...
Dance movement psychotherapy is a form of therapy which can help with your physical, emotional and psychological health by using creativity and body awareness. The main aim of dance movement psychotherapy is to increase your well-being, self-confidence and relationships (both with yourself and with others in your life). Dance movement psychotherapy recognises that the way we move our body is an expression of our feelings, emotions and thoughts. Some of us struggle to verbally explain how...
A review of published research has discovered that long-term stress and anxiety can damage areas of the brain that deal with emotional responses and memory. The research suggests that this damage can lead to depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr Linda Mah is the lead author of the review, which was carried out at a research institute affiliated with the University of Toronto. Speaking about the findings, she said the following:
"Pathological anxiety and chronic stress are associated with...
“Words for a Journey: The Art of being with Dementia” is already being used by doctors in Japan. The guide outlines how dementia sufferers relate to the world and how others can relate to them.
Experts believe the guide will give those being diagnosed hope that they can continue to live independently for as long as possible, while also encouraging them to see the diagnosis as a journey, rather than “the end”.
Over 300 experiences described by those living with dementia were collected and...
A survey has revealed that 42% of the public believe there is no point in continuing to visit someone with dementia after they stop recognising people.
Leading charity, Alzheimer’s Society say family visits provoke feelings of security, comfort and happiness. Importantly, these feelings remain long after the visit (and even after the sufferer forgets the visit).
Despite the lack of memory, the charity say those with dementia can still hold ‘emotional’ memories. Because of this, the...
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