For 2-3 years, my wife has been sundowning, showing great anxiety and agitation usually about going home to see her parents. It has happened daily around about teatime and sometimes lasts several hours. My reaction has an effect on her behaviour, with any show of exasperation making the situation much worse.
But today, a new development. This morning, a paroxysm of rage lasting about 30 minutes. Waking up, asking the time (7.30 am), and then a sudden uncontrollable outburst of rage, contorted jerky body movements, screaming, anguished moaning, clenching of fists and spreading of fingers like claws, angrily and tearfully railing repeatedly against ‘others’ : how could they do this to me, they’re nasty horrible people, people who “think they’re wonderful”, why has this happened to me, interspersed with threats to smash things, throw the nasty people downstairs etc. It’s as if suddenly all the hurtful things and negativity, real or imagined, that have happened in her life have come to a head. She seemed to be associating this fury/desperate unhappiness with her home of 40 years: I want to get OUT! I should never have come here! I hate it here! I’ll never ever come back!
This was a step change in behaviour and quite alarming, clearly getting more confused and delusional. I managed to be supportive, hugging her and reassuring her while she raged – to her this meant that I was not one of the ‘others’, was on her side, and she tells me through the tears that I’m a kind person, that I’ve always been kind...
Now 10.30, taken lorazapam and sertraline at 8.15 am, she is calmer but still very restless and doesnt settle until lunchtime.
But today, a new development. This morning, a paroxysm of rage lasting about 30 minutes. Waking up, asking the time (7.30 am), and then a sudden uncontrollable outburst of rage, contorted jerky body movements, screaming, anguished moaning, clenching of fists and spreading of fingers like claws, angrily and tearfully railing repeatedly against ‘others’ : how could they do this to me, they’re nasty horrible people, people who “think they’re wonderful”, why has this happened to me, interspersed with threats to smash things, throw the nasty people downstairs etc. It’s as if suddenly all the hurtful things and negativity, real or imagined, that have happened in her life have come to a head. She seemed to be associating this fury/desperate unhappiness with her home of 40 years: I want to get OUT! I should never have come here! I hate it here! I’ll never ever come back!
This was a step change in behaviour and quite alarming, clearly getting more confused and delusional. I managed to be supportive, hugging her and reassuring her while she raged – to her this meant that I was not one of the ‘others’, was on her side, and she tells me through the tears that I’m a kind person, that I’ve always been kind...
Now 10.30, taken lorazapam and sertraline at 8.15 am, she is calmer but still very restless and doesnt settle until lunchtime.
