4. Changes In Behavior Leading To Depression
Are you, or a person you care about, acting in a way that seems out of character?
Everyone has moments when they feel sad or grumpy from time to time. Yet, someone that’s living with dementia will likely show various mood swings, from calm to tears to fury, for no particular reason. Our characters can change in subtle ways as we grow older.
But, a person living with dementia might experience more obvious personality changes and can become suspicious, confused, or even withdrawn all of a sudden. Changes might also include a lack of interest or fearfulness in common things.
Another indicator of this disorder is a sudden lack of curiosity or incentive to do things. You might even discover that your loved one is no longer interested in personal hygiene or personal relations.
And even though apathy may sound a lot like depression, those who suffer from depression will also experience feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or lowered self-esteem.
If the person you care about is already living with depression, the chaos of dementia and having a hard time remembering something could make them even more disoriented or withdrawn.
19 Responses
Seeing people that are not there, Thinking she lives somewhere else and asking when are we going home? Wanting to stay in bed until I help her up. Unsteady on her feet. At times thinking I’m someone other than her husband. Thinking her parents and siblings are still alive. These are what I live with every day. The best time is when we go to bed and I keep her feet warm and rub her back The electric blanket keeps her warm over night. She is 89 years old , six years older than me.. I’m in good health and plan to keep her home even though we have long term care insurance.
My husband was diagnosed back in 2017, he was only 48 years old 😭, he was doing well up until about 1 1/2 years ago, then I noticed that he was repeating himself, and forgetting conversations that we had the day before, and sometimes from earlier in the same day. He used to be great with phone numbers, now he has to look them up, and I mean family members that he calls all the time 😭, he forgets to eat, it’s so sad to see him going through this, I feel so helpless.
My experience similar! Plan to keep hubby (85) home as well. I am a RN of many years,so physical caregiving is probably easier for me, but the Ed’s wife’s symptoms parallel my husbands, and do at times, cause sadness. Thank you for sharing. and may God continue to use you to bless your wife for as long as necessary. Carol
Thank you! Helpful 😄
My first time using this site. I will become a regular user.
There have been occasions when I’ve missed an exit on an expressway, turned down the wrong street in areas I’m familiar with or losing my sense of direction (e.g., not knowing if I’m going north or south). I’ve been attributing them to just being pre-occupied with stuff, but now I’m not so sure. Also. sense of direction/space around me (sideswiped cars in my driveway) and “losing steps” in the software development industry. in which I’ve worked for over 50 years (thus performing sub-par and getting let go fairly quickly). My neurologist had said it’s a normal part of ageing, but I am starting to worry a little.
I wish I had seen these signs much earlier in my wife. Looking back I can see them now, but I was too late. She passed away last September.
A crippling disease with no cure.My Dad and Father in Law both suffered and died with it
Where do you get help for this? These things are happening with my mom.
There is no help…Family needs to care for them 24/7 or you need to hire an aid for help or you beed to place them in a Alzheimer care unit which in turn means signing house and bank accounts over. Depending where you live, they may look back 5 years, and all money must be accounted for. Good luck
Very helpful. I wish I knew about this sooner.
This is worse than Cancer at least you know the people around you to care for you and give you support not with this disease you forget your loved ones in some cases violence can happen it is so sad to see someone you love like this my siblings and I watched my mom for almost 3 years until she needed help we couldn’t provide I hated this disease I pray for a miracle so no one has to see their loved one like this🙏🙏🙏
Losing your memory is very scary. After suffering head injury from a brutal attack in 2019, my short term memory lost was frustrating. Training at a new job resulted in me only working four hours because going back through my notes became so hectic. Since then I have had two seizures. The last seizure my family said medical staff had to resuscitate me twice. What’s even worse, management doesn’t want to take responsibility for not protecting me while I was in their care.
I would like the 6 sign’s? My momma passed away because of Dementia
It in itself, is not a deadly disease, therefore, life goes on and on. I helped care for a man who was on a State Board. His mental disease progressed but his body lives on for 14 years as of now. He has not known his wife or friends, he constantly thinks someone is coming in the door, he sits and pretends he is at his desk, opening mail all day every day, he eats the same thing for meals, is frail and in a wheel chair or bed for the past 10. A health care worker comes in daily to bathe him, change dressings on a few sores and general health issues. The wife gets 20 hours a week of respite services. The government and Veteran’s Administration have taken good care of him. Wish there were a cure. Heartbreaking.
My significant other has been diagnosed with Alzheimers
He was a great cook , computer whiz and handled all our finances. Now I do it all. He has displayed most of the behaviors you listed. The best advice for me was to NOT. TAKE THEIR INSULTS AND MOOD CHANGES PERSONALLY. REMIND YOURSELF IT’S 1
Thank you for your highly informative article. I really appreciate this info.
Great help on what suble signs to look for. Thank you.
I was married about 4 years to a wonderful man and the love of my life when he started asking about the’thing’. Took him to a neurologist and he was diagnosed with Primary Progrrssive Aphasia-word finding difficulty. It is a type of dementia. All types of dementia end up in the same place. You end up in a bed, not knowing your loved ones, unable to dress yourself, ultimately unable to swallow, and then death comes. My husband fell and broke his hip in January while at Memory Care and never really recovered. He died April 4th, 2023. I miss him terribly. It is a disgusting disease. Fortunately he was always happy and smiling. Never got violent. Frustrated yes, but not angry. I was lucky there..