I'm in the unusual position of seemingly being the only person who thinks I have frontotemporal dementia - whereas other people seem (at this stage) to think I have depression, or other psychiatric difficulties. So I'm keen to try and work out what the real problem is.
I know that people with FTD are generally unaware of their difficulties, whereas I know that my personality has changed. I have gone from being a lively extrovert person to someone who wants to hide from the world, who suffers a lot from apathy and who seems to have lost both my sense of empathy and my sense of humour.
I have had a CT scan that shows 'a degree of atrophy' to my frontal lobes. I have had cognitive tests that show no detriment. I am on a waiting list for a SPECT scan (tests have been arranged by a consultant psychiatrist).
For my part, I'm not sure how I can adequately explain why I think I have bvFTD other than by saying I don't feel I have any control over my feelings of Anhedonia etc.. And I'm convinced that talking therapies such as CBD would now mean nothing to me. I also have a sense of things slowly but steadily getting worse.
But people point out that:1. I am aware of changes to me 2. I don't have obsessive behaviours 3. I don't have problems with behaviours that transcend social norms 4.I show no signs at all of cognitive impairment. So, it is suggested, the problem is probably one of Depression and/or other psychiatric difficulties.
Can anyone suggest please what any useful next steps might be for me to try and sort out what's going on? Is there anywhere that I could refer myself to?
I know that people with FTD are generally unaware of their difficulties, whereas I know that my personality has changed. I have gone from being a lively extrovert person to someone who wants to hide from the world, who suffers a lot from apathy and who seems to have lost both my sense of empathy and my sense of humour.
I have had a CT scan that shows 'a degree of atrophy' to my frontal lobes. I have had cognitive tests that show no detriment. I am on a waiting list for a SPECT scan (tests have been arranged by a consultant psychiatrist).
For my part, I'm not sure how I can adequately explain why I think I have bvFTD other than by saying I don't feel I have any control over my feelings of Anhedonia etc.. And I'm convinced that talking therapies such as CBD would now mean nothing to me. I also have a sense of things slowly but steadily getting worse.
But people point out that:1. I am aware of changes to me 2. I don't have obsessive behaviours 3. I don't have problems with behaviours that transcend social norms 4.I show no signs at all of cognitive impairment. So, it is suggested, the problem is probably one of Depression and/or other psychiatric difficulties.
Can anyone suggest please what any useful next steps might be for me to try and sort out what's going on? Is there anywhere that I could refer myself to?