Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Basically, my mother was diagnosed with dementia in ’06 or ’07.
I never knew if she had any anxiety disorders. She turned into this bitter, angry all the time person.
Yelling at everyone. As well as add on top of that schizophrenia, and you’ve got a lost soul.
My dad used to say that she died of a “broken heart” when she was put in a nursing home.
Growing up, I blamed her for all my problems. We fought a lot, but I still loved her no matter what. At length, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her.
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.
At this point,fFor most people with Alzheimer’s — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later.
When the disease develops before age 65, it’s considered early-onset Alzheimer’s, which can begin as early as a person’s 30s, although this is rare.
- firstly, worrying about difficult issues such as health, money problems or relationships
- damage to the parts of the brain involved in emotions
- stress, pain or exhaustion
- fourthly, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t real) and delusions (believing things that aren’t true)
- drinking too much caffeine or alcohol
- side effects of certain medicines
- lastly, stopping a medicine too quickly – particularly one prescribed for a mental health problem.
- firstly, a history of traumatic or upsetting events, such as violence, abuse or neglect
- had anxiety disorders in the past
- close relations who have had anxiety
- a personality more susceptible to negative feelings
- lastly, other long-term medical conditions or disabilities.
People who have had anxiety in the past are more likely to have it again.
- Firstly, Complex tasks
- Pain or illness
- Feeling unwell
- Fourthly, Changes to routine
- Loss
- Being pushed to do something
- Loneliness
- Medications
- Lastly, Memories of the past
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia.
Dementia can cause personality and behavior changes that may be early warning signs. These changes can include:
- Mood: Depression, anxiety, apathy, or becoming more easily upset, worried, or angry
- Behavior: Also, wandering, pacing, hiding things, or believing others are hiding things
- Communication: Difficulty following conversations, or misunderstanding what is seen or heard
- Interests: Basically, inability to do things that are enjoyed or follow interests without help
- Response to environment: Becoming overstimulated by noise, conversation, crowds, or activity
- Other: Becoming more demanding, restless, suspicious, or disoriented
Dementia can also cause people to mirror the emotions of others, such as becoming anxious and worried if someone else is.
It’s important to know the person’s history, preferences, routines, and how they usually react to things when supporting them.
For example, someone who has always been anxious or impatient may become even more so with dementia.
Undoubtedly, people with dementia who have anxiety may have a range of symptoms. They may feel tired, insecure, or irritable. They may struggle to think as well as usual.
Anxiety can also cause physical symptoms, such as a fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations), shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea (feeling sick) or diarrhea.
Anxiety can also cause changes in behaviour, such as becoming agitated or restless.
A person may pace, fidget or harm themselves by repeatedly rubbing, picking or scratching their skin or pulling their hair.
Also, they may feel the need to hoard certain items in the home.
A person with dementia who is feeling anxious may feel scared to be left on their own and so follow a partner or family member around the home.
Therefore, this can be very difficult to cope with when it happens all the time.
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Comparatively, anxiety is considered a non-traditional risk factor for dementia, especially in older people.
Some studies have found that people with chronic anxiety have a 2.8 times higher risk of developing dementia, while those with new-onset anxiety have a 3.2 times higher risk.
However, resolving anxiety may also remove the risk of dementia.
Some possible explanations for the link between anxiety and dementia include:
- Vascular disease: Indeed, anxiety may be linked to vascular disease, which is a cause of dementia.
- Cortisol: Stress increases cortisol in the brain, which can kill nerve cells and cause memory problems.
- Inflammation: Stress also increases inflammation, which can kill nerve cells.
- Beta-amyloid: Anxiety may also be linked to a buildup of beta-amyloid, which is a sign of Alzheimer’s.
- Telomeres: Anxiety may also shorten telomeres, which can accelerate aging.
Anxiety can also make symptoms of dementia worse, especially those that affect attention, planning, organization, and decision-making.
- Firstly, The emotional impact of a dementia diagnosis
- Worries about the future
- Worsening dementia symptoms
- Fourthly, Social isolation
- Lack of mental stimulation
- Unmet needs
- Damage to the parts of the brain that control emotions
- Additionally, Stress, pain, or exhaustion
- Hallucinations or delusions
- Side effects of certain medications
- Stopping a medication too quickly
- In addition, trouble understanding what’s happening around them
- Worrying about past people or situations
- Worrying about their ability to cope with everyday tasks
- Tension or negative mood in others
- Lastly, Grief
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Anxiety is a common symptom of Lewy body dementia (LBD), affecting around 63% of people with the disease.
Even more, it can occur before a clinical diagnosis, during the prodromal period, and may worsen as a person’s thinking abilities decline.
Other mood and behavioral changes associated with LBD include:
Depression, Apathy, Agitation, Aggression, Delusions, and Paranoia.
Anxiety can manifest in related behaviors, such as:
- Firstly, Asking the same questions repeatedly
- Becoming angry or fearful when a loved one is not present
- Pacing
- Fourthly, Hand wringing
- Being unable to settle down
- Constantly repeating words or phrases
- Lastly, Irritability
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Sundowning is a set of symptoms or behaviors that can include anxiety, confusion, and agitation.
This can occur in people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in the late afternoon and early evening.
It can also be called “sundowner’s syndrome”. Sundowning can happen at any stage of dementia, but is more common in the middle and later stages.
Furthermore, it can continue into the night, making it difficult for people to fall asleep and stay in bed.
Here are some tips to help prevent sundowning: Stick to a schedule, Get sunlight, Be physically active, Avoid caffeine and alcohol, and Avoid long naps.
If sundowning does occur, here are some tips to help:
Moreover, try talking about something else, doing a calming activity, or turning on music. You can also try asking the person what’s bothering them and listening to their response.
If the person needs to move around, don’t try to stop them, but stay close by to keep an eye on them.
Use night lights, locks on doors and windows, and gates to block stairs. You can also put away dangerous objects and consider installing baby monitors, motion detectors, or door sensors.
Sundowning confusion can cause people to wander, yell, or become aggressive, and physical restraint can make things worse.
Nonetheless, if someone starts to show new signs of confusion or agitation, you should seek medical advice. A doctor and other professionals can provide medication and support.
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. Always involve the person with any decisions and choices to make, whilst encouraging them to:
Talk about their worries or fears
- Firstly, Help the person find the right time and space to share their thoughts.
- If something very upsetting or traumatic has happened recently or in the past, the person may find it helpful to talk about them.
- Lastly, If these conversations are too difficult or sensitive, or the person doesn’t feel comfortable talking to someone they know, ask a professional counsellor or therapist for help first.
Continue with treatment
- Keep taking anti-anxiety medication or using talking therapies offered to them, even if improvement is slow at first.
Stay active
- Meanwhile, regular physical activity can reduce feelings of anxiety and also help with sleep problems. Where possible, support and encourage them to regularly go outdoors and spend time in natural environments.
- Take part in group activities, such as dancing or singing.
Eat and drink well
- Eat a wide range of healthy foods.
- Overall, drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- Drink alcohol and caffeinated drinks moderately, if at all.
Some people with anxiety may also want to try complementary and alternative therapies.
In general, this could include aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage therapy and herbal medicines (for example Ginkgo biloba and CBD oil).
There is not much evidence that these therapies are effective for treating anxiety in people with dementia but many people choose to try them anyway.
In essence, if you have any concerns about the safety of a particular therapy, you should speak to your doctor first.
- Firstly, Give short, one sentence explanations.
- Allow plenty of time for comprehension, and then triple it.
- Repeat instructions or sentences exactly the same way.
- Fourthly, Avoid insistence. Try again later.
- Agree with them or distract them to a different subject or activity.
- Accept the blame when something’s wrong (even if it’s fantasy).
- In addition, Leave the room, if necessary, to avoid confrontations.
- Respond to the feelings rather than the words.
- Be patient and cheerful and reassuring. Do go with the flow.
- Lastly, Practice 100% forgiveness. Memory loss progresses daily.
- Firstly, Don’t reason.
- Don’t argue.
- Thirdly, Don’t confront.
- Don’t remind them they forget.
- Don’t question recent memory.
- Lastly, Don’t take it personally.
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia.
In particular, there are three types of medications used to treat Alzheimer’s and dementia: antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics.
In this case, antidepressants are often prescribed when dementia patients experience fatigue, apathy, or lack of interest in daily activities.
fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Cipralex) and sertraline (Zoloft)
Some benzodiazepine anxiolytic examples include:
- Alprazolam
- Clonazepam
- Diazepam
- Lorazepam
- Buspirone (BuSpar)
There are two main types of antipsychotic medications:
- First-generation antipsychotics. Also known as “typical antipsychotics,” these drugs were the first types of medications developed for treating psychosis. Most aren’t commonly used for treating psychosis now.
- Second-generation antipsychotics. Also known as “atypical antipsychotics,” these are now the main drugs for treating psychosis. That’s mostly because they have fewer side effects.
- Chlorpromazine. Not to mention, the brand name of this medication (Thorazine) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Fluphenazine. The brand names of this medication (Prolixin, Permitil) are no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Haloperidol (Haldol®).
- Loxapine (Adusuve®). To clarify, one of the brand names of this medication (Loxitane) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Molindone. The brand name of this medication (Moban) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Perphenazine. The brand name of this medication (Trilafon) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Pimozide (Orap*).
- Prochlorperazine (Compro®). That is, one of the brand names of this medication (Compazine) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Thiothixene. The brand name of this medication (Navane) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Thoridazine. The brand name of this medication (Mellaril) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Trifluoperazine. To conclude, the brand name of this medication (Stelazine) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Firstly, Aripiprazole (Abilify®, Aristada®).
- Asenapine (Secuado®, Saphris®).
- Brexpiprazole (Rexulti®).
- Fourthly, Cariprazine (Vraylar®).
- Clozapine (Clozaril®, Versacloz®). One of the brand names of this medication (Fazaclo) is no longer available in the U.S., but generic versions still are.
- Iloperidone (Fanapt®).
- In addition, Lumateperone (Caplyta®).
- Lurasidone (Latuda®).
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa®, Lybalvi®, Symbyax®).
- Quetiapine (Seroquel®).
- Additionally, Paliperidone (Invega®).
- Pimavanserin (Nuplazid®).
- Risperidone (Perseris®, Risperdal®).
- Lastly, Ziprasidone (Geodon®).
Beyond memory loss: the anxiety behind dementia. To conclude, I know my mom was on Zoloft at one point in time.
I don’t know if she was on other meds and when she decided not to take them anymore.
Because of my mental illnesses, some of my childhood is a blur. Plus having ECT didn’t help either. That was a total waste of time and money.
Anyway, my mom and I would actually get into fist fights and my dad had to step in between us to stop us.
To sum up, I remember being very close to her when I was young. She was the perfect mother despite having mental illnesses. And that’s how I’ll remember her. Until next time…
-Anxiety and dementia
-5 Types of Medication Used to Treat Sundowning & Difficult Dementia Behaviors
https://betterhealthwhileaging.net/medications-to-treat-difficult-alzheimers-behaviors/
-Coping with dementia behaviour changes
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy, One Voice In The Vastness Of Emotions
“With something like cancer, there is a feeling that you can fight it in some way or control your response to it, but with dementia there is the fear of losing control of your mind and your life.”–Kevin Whately
“That’s the worst thing about dementia: it gets you every time. Sufferers look and act the same but beneath the familiar exterior something quite different is going on. They’re in another world and you cannot enter.”-Carol Thatcher
“We can alleviate physical pain, but mental pain – grief, despair, depression, dementia – is less accessible to treatment. It’s connected to who we are – our personality, our character, our soul, if you like.”-Richard Eyre
Unveiling High Functioning Anxiety Disorder: Hidden Struggles(Opens in a new browser tab)
Can Anxiety Cause Schizophrenia?(Opens in a new browser tab)
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