Dementia

When "Don't talk like that" really means "You need to just suffer silently, please" the scars can run deep.

There are a lot of unique circumstances leading up to this, but my circumstances have nothing to do with why this is important. I'm writing because I want to help save someone. The person I want to help is suffering, and it's slowly getting worse. This person lives with a harrowing agony and is suffocating inside. You might even know this person. You might even be this person. If so, this is for you and I need you to know that you are not alone.

My name is Heather. I am living with knowing, seeing, feeling, and hating the fact that I am dying. In my opinion, it doesn't change anything whether a person is dying from a terminal illness, suicidal ideation, or killing themselves with an addiction, there's still inevitably a deep suffering involved and an excruciating loneliness that only adds to the level of pain one experiences.

Years ago, I told my mom about some of my medical conditions. My mom essentially expressed her opinion that I am just too full of self-pity. She called me a victim. She went on tell other members of my family that I was only claiming my conditions to get people's attention. I'd like to address her claims now. She said I am too full of self-pity. Maybe she's right. I admit to moments (more now as my condition progresses) when I am absolutely feeling sorry for myself. Who wouldn't? I lack grace and dignity sometimes. If she could do this better than me, by all means, I'd like her to teach me how. She said I am a victim. Really? No, mom. I am not claiming victim. Yes, it sucks. No, I am not always grateful to be alive, but I am not running around blaming anyone for what's happened in my life. I go directly to God and tell him when I'm pissed off because this sucks, but I am not playing victim. She also said I was just trying to get people's attention. Am I? OF COURSE I AM! But not like she thinks. I am scared, sad, angry, lonely, and I don't know how to cope. I'm creating a will, sorting out which of my beloved things will go to whom, wondering when I pay a bill if I'll be here to do it again next month, checking things off my bucket list, making sure people know I love them, and still trying to navigate like I'm normal. I pretend to have strength I don't have. I fake like I think everything is going to be ok. I put on makeup when I don't care how I look, wash dishes when I don't really care if they're dirty, and I google funny jokes just so I'll have stuff to talk about that isn't depressing. I do al l kinds of things that don't make sense. But if attention seeking was really the truth, wouldn't I make up a better story? Like I won a prize or something? Then I'd get happy, celebrating attention.

I ache to feel some kind of connection with anyone who can relate, or with anyone who might just need to be heard.

I haven't had a full on migraine in ten years (vomiting /headache) but today I ended up feeling a little queasy and then noticed a blind spot, followed by a growing zigzag from that point on (stressful day yesterday for my wife, who has been banned from driving because of dementia problems but a full assessment and driving test may clear her)

Hi, my name is GetInTheBoat. I’m reaching out to share my book Get In The Boat—a raw memoir I wrote to keep a promise to my father, and to offer a story most of us aren’t prepared for until it’s already happening.

My dad was a pastor. My mom had dementia. And during COVID, they were sealed in their home with no help—just the two of them, and the slow fading of everything they once knew. He bathed her. He fed her. He prayed over her even when she forgot who he was.

“This isn’t just a memoir,” I write. “It’s a prayer screamed into the silence.”

I didn’t write this to be polished or pretty. I wrote it because I watched a man live out a vow when love no longer looked like date nights or easy affection. I watched him stay when staying cost everything.

We live in a world that romanticizes instant connection and easy exits. But what does it mean to love when it's hard? When there’s no rescue? When no one is clapping for you?

I think readers—especially women navigating love, faith, family, and identity—would resonate deeply with this story.

Get In The Boat is honest, painful, and maybe even healing for anyone who’s ever wondered: What happens when the vow you made gets tested in silence?

#MightyTogether

Hi, my name is jenr8r. I have multiple rare medical conditions. I have EDS, Pure Autonomic Failure, and multiple brain injuries from PRES. now I am experiencing dementia symptoms and me and my whole family need help and support

#MightyTogether

Hi, my name is Serenity123. I'm here because
I've got severe depression and a wife in an advaced state of dementia. The current living system is unsustainable.#MightyTogether #Depression #Anxiety #OCD

Hi, my name is shaijakel. I’m here to support caregivers, patients, and families through the emotional and practical challenges of caregiving.
With over 20 years of experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant, an associate degree in medical assisting, and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science, I’ve spent much of my life walking beside others during their most vulnerable moments. I’ve seen the weight that caregiving places on the body, mind, and spirit—and I’ve felt it, too.
Now, as I pursue my master’s in clinical mental health counseling, I’m passionate about using my education and lived experience to uplift others. Whether you're navigating chronic illness, caring for an aging loved one, or trying to cope with burnout, you're not alone. My hope is that by sharing stories, reflections, and mental health tools, I can be a voice of empathy, strength, and validation for others walking similar paths.

#MightyTogether #Depression #Anxiety #Dementia #AlzheimersDisease

Hi, my name is NoahFence. I'm here because on May 20, 2025. I underwent a Brain Scan. The diagnoses are dementia. Multiple sclerosis and strokes. The left-side of my brain had "gross amount" of white tissues and damaged tissues. I just turned 37 on October 2nd. These past few years of substance abuse and being a domestic abuse victim had truly taken a toll on my body and now my overall health.
#MightyTogether #MultipleSclerosis #Anxiety #Depression #PTSD #Grief #Dementia