Anosognosia: an important insight into Mum's dementia

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
I've got something here which may be helpful and/or enlightening for some.
http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/About-dementia/Dementias/What-is-dementia/Seven-A-s-of-dementia

I did find the stages useful in giving a general idea of what was going on with my mother. But dementia is so very individual (as my signature says) that I think it's more about guidelines rather than an exact prognosis. The very nature of dementia is the erratic and unpredictableness of it.

What a useful article, Joanne.

The description of aphasia would have fit John to a T for the first 7 years. He had none of the other symptoms. I have never met or heard of anyone else with just this symptom.

As you say, when you've seen one.......
 

Wirralson

Account Closed
May 30, 2012
658
0
Hi Garnuft,

One of the difficulties my father and I found (to differing degrees) was adjusting our mindset to the disease. At an intellectual level it is easy enough to say "it's the Alzheimer's or the dementia, not the person underneath that's causing the negative behaviour". But my mother retained intermittent lucidity and masked it well. She also always could be caustic and vituperative, and was an expert armchair manipulator. So, when faced with a specific remark or remarks, it can be hard to absorb that emotionally. My father found that very difficult. Also the logical consequences of the loss of insight that anosgnosia causes can be very difficult to adjust to. My father still persists in assuming my mother has or will develop insight, without grasping that she never can and never will.

Wirralson
 

garnuft

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
6,585
0
Hi Garnuft,

One of the difficulties my father and I found (to differing degrees) was adjusting our mindset to the disease. At an intellectual level it is easy enough to say "it's the Alzheimer's or the dementia, not the person underneath that's causing the negative behaviour". But my mother retained intermittent lucidity and masked it well. She also always could be caustic and vituperative, and was an expert armchair manipulator. So, when faced with a specific remark or remarks, it can be hard to absorb that emotionally. My father found that very difficult. Also the logical consequences of the loss of insight that anosgnosia causes can be very difficult to adjust to. My father still persists in assuming my mother has or will develop insight, without grasping that she never can and never will.

Wirralson

Indeed Wirralson, it's a painful path to walk.

I think I have been better prepared than my siblings because I have an adult son (25) with severe learning difficulties and a quarter of a century's experience of irrational behaviour.
Though I admit I experience crushing sadness and frustration when my Mam is more challenging.

But always I know the person who would be most devastated, would be my darling little Mam.
Best wishes to you and yours.