Dementia and split personality symptoms

[mumanddemrntia]

Hi I'm Lorraine. My mum is 93 and was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2007. She has been in a care home for four months. For months she has been having conversations with two people but taking on their personalities causing herself much distress as they are always in conflict with each other, almost like she is in battle with the other person. Lately it is now three people, one the meek and mild, one the aggressor and one the mediator. Community mental health team diagnose advance dementia but the nurses at the home and myself are not convinced. It comes over as a form of schizophrenia. She has such a look of torment is very distressed as if she is in torment. She is now on a low dose of rispridone so as not to knock her out during the day. The dark moods come and go in the day and night. Spoke to Alzheimer's helpline and told they had not heard of this reaction in dementia also her doctor commented dementia could bring on schizophrenia and she is on the anti psychotic drug but mental health nurse dismissed that possibility. Has anyone else come across this behaviour. Not just hallucinations but these people are real to mum. Would welcome any views.

 

[Jesskle66]

My mum also exhibits symptoms of schizophrenia, in that she has grandiose beliefs and also has both auditory and visual hallucinations. She was also initially diagnosed as bipolar just a year ago, but following close obs after being sectioned they changed the diagnosis to 'atypical dementia with Lewy Bodies'. I think so many symptoms of other mental illnesses can fall under the umbrella of dementia. I still find it hard to believe that mum has dementia and part of me would 'prefer' it to be another mental illness, as daft as that sounds. Meds might reduce the symptoms but in my case my mum refuses all meds because of her paranoia (another symptom of schizophrenia) that she is being poisoned.

 

[florabunda]

We still don't know enough about brain damage - as in dementia, strokes, etc. I once came across someone who had a stroke and developed multiple personalities with different voices even including one with a foreign accent. Very rare but it can happen. More usually people who have had a stroke, or at a particular stage of dementia, appear to alter their personality, becoming more withdrawn or aggressive or less inhibited, etc. Interesting, but hard for you to live with.

 

[lizzyp1970]

Our mom will have the same story over and over again. My nephew peed his pants he’s outside can’t get in the house. 20 + times a day. Taking to people in her ear although she doesn’t see things it is most auditory delusions. What bugs me is that the medical professionals squash anything that the caregivers are telling them even though we are doing the research. When they say nope that doesn’t happen and I’m like well everyone else is wrong then???? So frustrating it’s that no one cares except the caregiver. Sorry for the rant. It has been 20 days since the start of talking to herself and it was sudden and there are no other deficits. She can use the bathroom tie her shoes, eat, read anything make the bed. So frustrating.