||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN |||
Sliding into dementia, senility, Alzheimers—call it what you will, is one of those fears that rates high on most people’s lists of Aging Worries. It&’s part of the fear of diminishing independence, self-trust and self-respect. People even in their 30s to 39 are worrying about dementia and losing their mental faculties.
So, what exactly is dementia? In a nutshell, it includes memory loss, disorientation, confusion and the decline in thinking and memory skills. Any of these interfere with a person’s normal daily activities and social relationships.
An interesting fact: only 1 in 10 people 65 and older have Alzheimers disease. This means that 90% of that population don’t have Alzheimers. For people 85 and older – the number rises to about 32%. That still means that of this population, 68% of the people won’t have it! So, to me, this means that the need to worry about Alzheimers doesn’t have to take up so much of our brain activity. Paying attention is good, but the worry—not so good!
Fun Facts:
Over the years I’ve done some research on Alzheimer’s and Dementia. A lot of issues that are affecting our cognitive functioning can be caused by things completely unrelated to the dreaded Alzheimers Disease. Here is a list of possible causes of reversible memory loss:
- Medications for Anxiety, Depression, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Pain, Seizures, Trouble Sleeping,
- Lack of Activity,
- Obesity and Diabetes,
- Minor Head Trauma or Injury,
- Unresolved Personal and Spiritual Issues,
- Stress, Worry, Anxiety,
- Substance Abuse—including alcohol, medications, food, smoking,
- Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency
- Dehydration
- Thyroid problems
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Emotional and physical trauma
- Foods Sugar, Wheat and Refined Grains
- Toxins in our foods, air and water
- Tumors
- Screen Time on our Laptops, cell phones and computers
It’s really good to know that we can look at what we are doing and not doing and see what may be causing memory loss. We can do SO MUCH to maintain healthy lives! Or we can choose to ignore and avoid making any changes—what difference will it make?
A Short Story: David and Doris
A friend of mine, David, who lives in Florida with his wife Doris, shares with me that Doris’s memory is waning. Every day he witnesses some forgetfulness in Doris. He’s concerned but doesn’t mention it to her or the Doctor for fear of hurting Doris’s feelings and perhaps making her angry. So, David stays silent.
While on a zoom call with Doris a few weeks back, I too saw indications of memory loss. I asked her point blank, “Does it concern you that you aren’t remembering things?” Doris said, “Well, what difference would it make? I can’t do anything about it! And, besides, she added, my
doctor did a memory test on me. She gave me three words, then had me draw a picture. Then she asked me what the three words were. I passed the test!”
My response was, “Did your doctor talk with David about your memory? He sees evidence every day that you are pretty dang forgetful.” I then told her, “Look, Doris. I love you. I don’t want to lose you as my dear friend. I want you to take this seriously, because I don’t want you to disappear.” Doris said, “Thank you for fighting for me.”
I left that call pretty angry! I don’t want to fight for Doris. I want Doris to fight for herself! That’s pretty much it in regard to the David and Doris story. David still feels powerless and helpless that his wife is slowly leaving him to take care of everything she forgets. And Doris is
just doing Doris.
You see, Doris is obese and eats a lot of foods known to exacerbate memory fog and memory loss. She could be more physically active and take into consideration many of the bullet points I mentioned above. She doesn’t and probably won’t! I struggle with what’s mine to do and realize I can just keep loving them both!
I know so many of us feel frustrated, disappointed and powerless with family and friends who may be declining mentally and not taking responsibility for their whole-being and well-being. In the long run, by remaining silent we aren’t helping loved ones and we aren’t helping ourselves. Or, you yourself may notice a decline in memory. I know I do, from time to time. There’s days when I’m very forgetful, and I can attribute it to 1) Stress, 2) Lower physical activity, 3) Eating sugar and wheat-based foods, and 4) Extra time on my iPad. JEESH!
I live alone and am 100% responsible for anything I forget. I don’t have a David to remember things for me. So, I have to ongoingly do what I need to do to keep my marbles in place!! This includes walking outdoors every day, meditating, being inspired and creative every day. It
includes taking supplements that I know support a healthy brain. I laugh a lot, drink plenty of water and deal with my stress, either through prayer, my coach or acupuncturist. I got nothing if I don’t have my marbles!!!
AND….
Also, I have dear friends who are dealing with Alzheimers, and they are doing everything humanly possible to slow the decline as much as possible. I so respect their honoring the preciousness of life. It is huge to admit the truth of Alzheimers. It is huge to love enough to
embrace every second of life together, knowing this second may be the last. HUGE!!!
We are at choice to bring about healthier results for ourselves, our brains and to the people we love. And in doing so we can then relax in knowing we are healthy and doing everything we can to stay present in our lives and with the people that love us so much!
