JOAN'S BLOG, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009 - RAISING AWARENESS - ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS NOT WHAT THE PUBLIC THINKS

During this month of November - Alzheimer's Awareness Month, I have written a blog about how I think every person can do their part to raise awareness of this dreadful disease. I have updated daily a list of news articles and videos related to Alzheimer's Awareness Month (see above).

Now that we are coming to the end of the month, I have chosen what I think is the most important fact the general public needs to know about Alzheimer's Disease - that it is NOT what they think – that it is not just memory loss - that mood and personality changes may occur long before the traditional warning signs of memory loss and confusion.  It is these personality changes that may include temper tantrums, loss of impulse control, irrational behavior, and extreme argumentativeness that is immune to reasoning, that are often misdiagnosed as "mid life crisis", "depression", "menopause", “ADD” “bipolar” and a host of other conditions. Incorrect medication, treatment, and counseling may be prescribed that only make the symptoms worse. Often these problems lead to divorce. There have been thousands of press releases this month that list the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's Disease. Personality change is #TEN on the list. In my own husband’s case, as in countless cases I have seen, personality change is #ONE. Had my husband not been experiencing memory loss in addition to the personality changes, I NEVER would have suspected Alzheimer’s Disease. We would have ended up in , as his irrational behavior was immune to the reasoning and compromise that had always characterized our marriage.

It is imperative that the public be aware of mood and personality change as a warning sign of Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia, to not only begin appropriate treatment, but avoid a divorce in the process. One of our members received the proper diagnosis AFTER her divorce was final. Although they did not remarry, she is now caring for her ex-husband at home.

There are other facts of which the public is not aware; facts we have discussed at length on this website – that Alzheimer’s is a BRAIN DESTRUCTION disease; that it affects every part of the brain; that it is a progressive, regressive disease, meaning that the patient will continue to progress farther into the disease by regressing into childhood, physically and mentally.

But it is my contention, probably because it was my experience,  that the mood and personality changes are extremely important to recognize. Everyone worries about Alzheimer’s Disease every time they or a loved one loses their keys or forgets a name. No one worries about Alzheimer’s Disease when a loved one suddenly starts screaming at clerks in stores or becomes impossible to reason with.

I am sending out e-mails and press releases that emphasize mood and personality changes as early warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. I urge you to emphasize those changes when you speak about Alzheimer’s Disease. It is up to us to raise awareness, not only about those warning signs, but about the true nature of Alzheimer’s Disease as a whole – that it is a FATAL brain destruction disease, not a simple memory fading disease.

MESSAGE BOARD TOPIC:Alzheimer's Disease is NOT What the Public Thinks

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The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
2009 All Rights Reserved

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