World Alzheimer’s Day

Alzheimer’s Disease - an overview

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia mostly found in people of old age. It begins with mild memory loss and gradually impairs the person's ability to carry out simple daily tasks.

Apart from the long list of physical problems that come along with this disease, a large number of mental health issues also develop simultaneously. The main symptoms are memory loss, confusion, mental decline, depression, loss of judgement and so on.

Alzheimer’s & Mental Health Issues

As mentioned earlier, depression is a common symptom of Alzheimer's, especially in the early stages.

Thus, this degenerative disease gets worsened when it co-occurs with other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and certain psychotic conditions.

It can also co-occur with psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia as both diseases have delusions and vague perceptions as their common symptoms. Individuals of old age who have schizophrenia are also at a higher risk for developing depression, creating the possibility of all three mental disorders

co-occurring in an individual.

Symptoms of these disorders may include

• Profound sadness.

• Inadequate coping mechanisms.

• Lack of proper problem solving skills.

• Disinterest in people and activities.

• Anxiety about change, strangers, going out, etc.

Apart from the individual concerned, this disease can also wreak havoc in the lives of fellow family members and caregivers.

Psychological Effect on Others

When an individual is diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, the effect on the entire family can certainly be overwhelming.

The diagnosis can trigger a range of emotions including anger, fear, frustration and sadness.

One may feel guilt- for having treated the patient poorly in the past, for lost tempers or for not being able to provide adequate help.

It can be also accompanied by grief- for the loss of the previous relationship or bond, and anger. It is natural to feel these emotions, and one must remember that they are never alone.

Moreover, as all the focus is directed towards the patient, the emotional needs of children and teens often go uncared for.

This may induce fear, embarrassment and neglect. There also are many decisions to make about treatment, care, living arrangements and finances. As a result, family conflicts are common in the households of people with dementia.

However, it is important to keep these in

control as internal quarrels do not help, and might even worsen the psychological impact of the disease. Hence the following basic strategies can be applied to cope and

keep disputes at bay:

• Ask for help

• Share responsibility.

• Stay connected and informed with the family.

• Communicate honestly.

• Empathize with others and help each other.

Conclusion

It is important to raise awareness

about this brain condition since Alzheimer's disease affects about 6% of people aged 65 years and older. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases but an average of 2 out of 3 people globally have little or no understanding of it nor of dementia. Many even consider this disease as a normal part of ageing which is not true.

Facing stigma is often a primary concern of people living with Alzheimer's and their care

partners. Those with the disease report being misunderstood because of the misconceptions others have about the disease therefore its imperative to break the stigma around this condition and create more awareness.

So on this World Alzheimer's Day, let us all join hands to remember those who can't remember. We owe it to all people suffering from Alzheimer's to do our best to end the stigma associated with the disease and play our part in understanding and spreading awareness especially about it's mental health impacts not only on the patients but also their near and dear ones.

✏️: @ishani_jaiswal & @rishika_arora

🎨: @anannya_bala