confidence

Rushdenboy

Registered User
Nov 17, 2020
19
0
Help please since my diagnosis 3 weeks ago my confidence is as low as it can get virtually gone and this is getting me down a lot
as a worship leader in the Methodist church (VOLUNTARY) and local elected Councillor this is very important to me have been used to public speaking for most of my life and my confidence as always been high has any one on here lost theirs any advice people can give Will be greatly appreciated thank you
and keep safe
HANDS FACE SPACE
DAVE
Rushden boy
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
hi @Rushdenboy
you've been given some particularly uncomfortable news, which will take some time to come to terms with .... so it's hardly surprising your confidence has taken a knock
sometimes it's also trickier to deal with news in personal life when you are an 'elder' figure in the community, someone to whom others come with their concerns, and no doubt you have helped many at difficult moments in their lives

right now, the roles are reversed a little and maybe you're unsure how to reach out to others, how they will respond
is there someone within your chapel you might share your thoughts and feelings with ... my guess is that there will those in the community who will welcome being able to reassure and support you, as you have been there for them

you are the person you were three weeks ago, you just now know something about your life that maybe will give you an altered perspective
sorry if this sounds trite
 

Dunroamin

Registered User
May 5, 2019
418
0
UK
I completely understand. I assume you will have experience of bereavement support in your role within the your church? If you take the definition of bereavement as 'life will never be the same' then you will realise that what you are going through is a bereavement. Loss of confidence, confusion, loss of direction, searching, despair, disbelief, anger and denial are all part of this process. It is normal, terrifying and lonely. Only those of us with this condition really understand what it is like - our futures, skills , ambitions and abilities being slowly eroded.

On a positive note you have a relatively early diagnosis like me, so there ARE things you can do to take back some control while you can. Just think - if you had a broken bone you would get treatment for it. You now have an issue with your brain. See your GP and discuss the possibility of something to lift your mood. Find out which GP in your practice has an interest in dementia. Some are better than others.

Keep posting
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
Hello @Rushdenboy

Confidence was the first thing my husband lost following his diagnosis and really it`s no surprising. I hope your experiences in the community will stand you in good stead if you can accept your reaction is perfectly normal.

If you possibly can live one day at a time it might help. Today you are articulate and logical and I know it`s easier said than done but no one knows what tomorrow will bring or how your condition will develop.

Have you felt able to discuss your diagnosis with your colleagues? It often helps to be open and perhaps then you will not feel the additional burden of having to keep a secret.
 

Rushdenboy

Registered User
Nov 17, 2020
19
0
hi @Rushdenboy
you've been given some particularly uncomfortable news, which will take some time to come to terms with .... so it's hardly surprising your confidence has taken a knock
sometimes it's also trickier to deal with news in personal life when you are an 'elder' figure in the community, someone to whom others come with their concerns, and no doubt you have helped many at difficult moments in their lives

right now, the roles are reversed a little and maybe you're unsure how to reach out to others, how they will respond
is there someone within your chapel you might share your thoughts and feelings with ... my guess is that there will those in the community who will welcome being able to reassure and support you, as you have been there for them

you are the person you were three weeks ago, you just now know something about your life that maybe will give you an altered perspective
sorry if this sounds trite

Thank you so very much
 

john51

Registered User
Apr 26, 2014
292
0
Dunstable, Bedfordshire
I undestand what you are saying. I was a high performing teacher at the time I got my diagnosis. Confidence was on its way out because I was being told that I had gone from outstanding to inadequate and was in danger of being sacked.

A big thing is to accept that normal is new and different, almost every day. That there are things that you can't do anumore, or at least in the same way you used to.

Another big thing is accepting that you might need help and leeting people help you. That one took a long time (years) for me, but you have to
 

WJG

Registered User
Sep 13, 2020
137
0
I offer you all of my sympathy. I am mourning my former very confident self. The idea that I could once talk on live radio and interview all manners of people now seems quite extraordinary to me. We seem to hear a lot about relatives grieving for their lost loved ones now those folk have developed dementia - but not about the grief some of us with neorodegeneration feel ourselves. I've never read or heard anybody talking about this. Say hello to Rushden for me - never been the same since the Coffee Tavern closed....
 

Rushdenboy

Registered User
Nov 17, 2020
19
0
I offer you all of my sympathy. I am mourning my former very confident self. The idea that I could once talk on live radio and interview all manners of people now seems quite extraordinary to me. We seem to hear a lot about relatives grieving for their lost loved ones now those folk have developed dementia - but not about the grief some of us with neorodegeneration feel ourselves. I've never read or heard anybody talking about this. Say hello to Rushden for me - never been the same since the Coffee Tavern closed....
Hi good to hear from you you are not wrong about the the changes to Rushden high street its almost dead now
 

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