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Seeing my dad

Thank you all for your support, prayers and encouragement concerning my anticipated visit with my estranged father. It went well.

He is currently in an assisted living facility, with some physical issues but mainly dementia. He spent most of the visit explaining his efforts to arrange a taxi ride home.

He was so different, yet so familiar. He’s always been situated at the edges of things, throwing out observations and claiming an inside track. The content is delusional, but the logical structure of his thoughts is still there.

The only thing he said directly to me was “You’ve put on weight.” He’s said that to me all my life, including times when I needed to put on weight. He enjoyed my niece and her two tiny, adorable children.

My fear was that he would react angrily to my presence and order me to leave. This week has been so hard and full of dread. My appetite, sleep and immune system have all taken a hit.

I hope that I’m not over sharing or making anyone uncomfortable with my family drama. I sense that others here can relate, and I would love it if someone felt less alone because I’ve been there, too.

One last thing. Today was not traumatic like I’d feared. But I did feel invisible, and that’s less than ideal. Then I had an epiphany: I’ve always been basically invisible to him. I’m at peace with that now.

Everyone wants to be seen. My dad may never see me. But I can make that lack a catalyst for recognizing the gold in others. I can dissolve that ache through a deliberate, intentional stance of love.

When I left, I said “It was nice to see you, Dad.” He responded with “Yeah? That’s what a lot of women say to me.” He’s kept his droll wit, and I’m happy that I got to see him.

#Bipolar #Depression #GAD #OCD #PTSD

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Reaching out

My niece and her children are joining me to visit my dad in an assisted home on Thursday. He’s been responding extremely well to her kids, and she thinks it might go well.

I’m terrified. We haven’t spoken in over a year. And now, suddenly, he’s lost in dementia.

In October 2024, our son revealed SA that happened with my sister. My parents’ response has been to cut my family out of their lives.

I don’t want to face the possibility that he’ll reject me. I want to hide.

But what if…

I wrote this poem about the turmoil I’m feeling.

The Accidental Pariah

How will you receive me?
Will you receive me at all?
Or shoot me down, like a fox
In a henhouse at dusk
They tell me you’re sundowning
Hope it won’t be too late
How did we even get here?
How did I become the villian
Out of a wound inflicted on my son?
Why did you choose her?
Surgically removed my family
Like a gangrened limb
When we never held
An ounce of poison?
I want nothing more
Than to climb to the top
Of a hill with you
Look out over the years we shared
And know the story will go on
Will your scrambled mind
Pick up only on
The scattered shards of sunlight?
Or are we doomed to the darkness
Of misplaced shame?
You were the one, the only one
Who said my son’s broken mind
Would be fine
Not just fine - better
No one else dared to hope
Do I dare to hope now
For better days
For us two?
It’s taking every bit of strength
Just to see you.

#Bipolar #Depression #GAD #OCD # PTSD

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Took a trip to a small zoo yesterday with my client and his wife. He is a Vietnam war vet who suffers with dementia, and I'm his caregiver for 20 hours a week. This has been a challenging experience for different reasons, but we've had so many wonderful moments. Coloring, racing Hot Wheels, bird and butterfly watching, finding toys for him to play with, and exploring local parks. He even got a new puppy this year (a chihuahua named Pita). Him and I got to feed flamingos together for the first time, and we were tickled pink (pun inteded) by this (really, it was weird and amazing, would recommend lol). I just wanted to share this because it means so much to me, so thanks for reading. I hope you're all doing ok out there ✨️

#MentalHealth #ADHD #Depression #Anxiety #Autism #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #PTSD #Trauma #Caregiving #MightyTogether

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I’m new here!

Hi, my name is Verobeach2025. I’m interested in any advice for my mom, who has Frontal lobe and vascular dementia. Currently, hallucinations are a real concern (Sees people and has discussions, has lizard like critters in her apartment and certain shows on TV can see her and talk with her. If you’ve experienced any of this with a loved one, what was the most effective thing you did to hel? Also, any advice to help neuropathy pain in legs and feet? Thank you!
#MightyTogether

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Hummingbird

My mother-in-law is in assisted living. She is in the final stages of dementia. She always loved hummingbirds. Green and red are her favorite colors. So, I made this for her room to brighten it up. I hope she likes it.

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Gone through the roof again!

My wife blew her top at me yesterday as she received official warning not to drive from the driving authority in the UK. Again it's my fault, not hers, yet she's the one who is driving erratically. I get blamed for snitching to the authorities but it was her that wanted the investigation and her that has the problem but I am the traitor betraying her secret that isn't a secret (I can see it's bad and eventually so would every other road user she came into contact with: her eldest step sister was finally stopped by the police when driving and she had Alzheimers as did the eldest step brother - different mum, same dad). With my wife it is dementia as with her mother but things have speeded up over the last few years

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Is it just me? #SuicidalIdeation #Dementia #MentalHealth #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Anxiety #MajorDepressiveDisorder

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.

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First migraine in years

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)

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Unmotivated insomnia

My insomnia is to the point that I don’t feel safe driving to work. I don’t know why I stopped sleeping. I only get about 3 hours most nights and then I might get another hour nap before I have to get up for work. I have so much Brain fog. I forget everything. I can start a sentence and not finish bc I don’t remember what I was going to say. I walk into rooms and forget why I’m there. One day, it took 3 tries to do what I needed to do. That means I turned back twice bc I was confused. If I was older, I’d think it was dementia, but I know it’s insomnia causing brain problems.
I gained like 15 pounds over the summer and really need to get a physical. Something serious must be wrong if I can’t sleep. I had one good night of
Sleep in 10 days. That as with aleve pm.

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