Talking to the photos

[Carrie Anne]

For a long time mum has been chatting to a photo of her grandsons, taken when they were very small. We've always laughed about it and I've thought it a bit eccentric but hey, if it passes the time....

Today she asked me if I thought they minded being in a frame or did I think they'd rather be out. I thought she was just taking the joke to another level, but she seemed to be deadly serious. She was seriously concerned that they were sitting there desperate to be released. Is this a common thing, I can kind of understand the stories of people thinking there are people in the TV but a photo....?

This sounds so weird, sorry

 

[Merrymaid]

Hi Carrie

Not weird really. My Mum chats away to her photos too. She even takes them off the wall & puts them to bed (in the drawers).Its really sweet that she can still remember who they are

 

[marionq]

Not weird. I think people with AD lose the ability to think logically or analyse. Sometimes very simplistic thoughts enter their heads and they don't question whether or not it makes sense. At times this can sound quite scary as it is so unrealistic but then passes as the thought moves on.

 

[CollegeGirl]

Try reassuring her that they're perfectly happy where they are, and enjoy listening to her chatting to them; look how smiley they are, they love seeing her, etc. it's a little window that they're looking through, and when she finishes talking to them, they go off to play, until the next time she wants to see them.

Perhaps something like this will console her and stop her worrying.

 

[Tilly Mint]

My mum also thinks photos are real, that they can see her. She has tried to feed them before now and often talks to them. Same goes for the tv. I can remember when I nipped home to my flat to get something, she phoned me and told me that there were men in the room with guns.
She has also phoned the police in the past to tell them there was a strange man in the room with her. First I knew was when I heard the front doorbell and found the police on the doorstep. I explained how mum was but naturally they still had to check and they were really really good with mum.
I had to move the phone away after that though.

 

[sistermillicent]

Mum became so agitated by photographs that we had to remove them a few years ago, very sad but they upset her so much, she thought they were real and it wasn't a comforting thing for her but a source of such irritation and anger and confusion.

 

[Nebiroth]

It is relatively common. In dementia it is also not uncommon to fail to recognise oneself in a mirror or reflection and to instead treat it as another person, who may or may not seem "familiar"

 

[Ash148]

Mum talks both to photos and to herself in the mirror as if they were other people.