Forget-Me-Not: Amnesia vs Dementia

Today I want to talk about amnesia vs dementia. I’ve been experiencing memory loss. I’m forgetting certain simple words. For example, I was trying to explain to my doctor about the dizziness and how my head felt. I kept telling him my head felt heavy. The word, which came to me a day later, was pressure. There have been many instances where I have forgotten simple words.

Also, my spelling has become horrible. I used to be a good speller. While typing these posts, I often juxta-pose letters (I mix them up). Thank God for the spell checker. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older or I have early onset dementia. I have a hard time with spacing out.

By no means am I trying to diagnose myself. My mother passed away with dementia. Although, from the Parkinson’s, there is also cognitive decline. So, I want to deep dive into the similarities and differences of amnesia and dementia. Here we go!

Amnesia Definition

Amnesia is a condition where someone partially or completely loses their memory. It can make it hard to remember past events, create new memories, or sometimes both. There are a few different types of amnesia, such as:

Retrograde Amnesia: Loss of memories from before the onset of the condition.
Anterograde Amnesia: Inability to form new memories after the onset of the condition.
Transient Global Amnesia: A temporary and sudden episode of memory loss.

Definition of Dementia

Dementia is a term used to describe a decline in cognitive abilities that can make daily life and activities more challenging. Rather than being a specific disease, it’s a group of symptoms that impact memory, thinking, reasoning, communication, and behavior. It happens when brain cells are damaged, making it harder for them to communicate with each other effectively.

Key Features of Dementia

Memory Loss: Difficulty remembering recent events, names, or conversations.
Cognitive Decline: Problems with problem-solving, planning, and decision-making.
Language Issues: Difficulty finding words or following conversations.
Behavioral Changes: Mood swings, confusion, or personality changes.
Loss of Independence: Difficulty performing everyday tasks like cooking or managing finances.

Common Types of Dementia

Alzheimer’s Disease: The most common type, known for gradual memory loss and challenges with thinking and understanding.
Vascular Dementia: This occurs when there’s reduced blood flow to the brain, often following a stroke.
Lewy Body Dementia: Linked to unusual protein buildup in the brain, which can cause memory and movement challenges.
Frontotemporal Dementia: Impacts the frontal and temporal lobes, causing changes in personality and language.

Childhood Amnesia

Comparing amnesia vs dementia, I had amnesia in my early 20’s. My childhood was basically wiped out because of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This was done because I had severe depression. Basically, an electric shock is induced into the brain to cause you to have a seizure. In simple terms, it resets your brain to eliminate the depression or whatever the mental illness is.

I had several shocks over a month, or maybe less (I don’t remember). All I know is it didn’t work for me. Back to the drawing board. As a matter of fact, My doctor didn’t warn me about the amnesia I could possibly have after the treatments were over with. I think I did the ECT sometime in my 20’s.

My memories of my twenties were wiped out. Much of my childhood was wiped out. I have very few memories of when I got married (in my 20’s). I only have 2 memories of the cruise ship we went on for our honeymoon. Apparently, we went to the Bahamas, which I don’t remember. I wish I could remember, because that will probably be the only time I get to go on a cruise ship.

Causes of Amnesia vs Dementia

Causes of Amnesia

Amnesia can happen for a variety of reasons, which usually fall into two main categories: neurological (physical damage or issues in the brain) and psychological (emotional or mental trauma). Here’s a closer look:

Neurological Causes

This refers to physical damage or issues in the brain, often impacting areas like the hippocampus, which plays a key role in forming and retrieving memories.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Head injuries from accidents, falls, or sports can affect the parts of the brain that help with memory.
Stroke: When blood flow to the brain is reduced, it can lead to memory loss, especially if the hippocampus is involved.
Brain Infections:**Conditions like encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) can affect areas of the brain linked to memory.
Seizures: Epileptic seizures, especially in the temporal lobe, can sometimes interfere with memory.
Brain Tumors:Tumors located in or near memory-related areas can affect how well memory functions.
Lack of Oxygen (Anoxia or Hypoxia): Accordingly, events like cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or near-drowning can cut off oxygen to the brain, which may lead to memory problems.
Medications:Some drugs, like sedatives or anesthetics, can temporarily impact your memory.

Psychological Causes

These involve emotional or mental trauma rather than physical damage to the brain.

Dissociative Amnesia: Hence, this type of amnesia, often triggered by stress, trauma, or emotional shock, is the mind’s way of protecting itself by blocking out difficult memories.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Going through tough trauma can sometimes mess with your memory, making it harder to recall certain events. That might help explain some of the memory issues I’ve been having. It’s pretty common for trauma to affect memory, so that could be what’s happening with me.

Other Causes

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Used to treat severe depression, ECT can sometimes cause temporary memory loss.
Aging:Although it’s not a direct cause of amnesia, age-related memory decline can sometimes feel a bit like amnesia.

Causes of Dementia

Dementia is a broad term used to describe a decline in cognitive function that’s significant enough to impact daily life. Hence, damage causes brain cells to develop, which makes it harder to communicate. Here are a few common causes of dementia:

Alzheimer’s Disease:Dementia is most commonly caused by abnormal protein deposits, known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles, building up in the brain and interfering with how it functions.
Vascular Dementia: This happens when blood flow to the brain slows down, often due to strokes or other conditions that affect blood vessels.
Lewy Body Dementia: Linked to abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies in the brain, this can cause symptoms like memory loss, hallucinations, and movement difficulties.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD): Results from damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, affecting personality, behavior, and language.
Mixed Dementia: When two or more types of dementia, like Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, occur together.
Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: This tends to happen in people with Parkinson’s disease, usually in the later stages, as Lewy bodies spread.
Huntington’s Disease:A genetic condition that slowly impacts nerve cells in the brain, eventually leading to dementia.
Infections:Conditions such as HIV, syphilis, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can lead to dementia by directly harming brain cells.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):Repeated head injuries, like those often faced by athletes, can increase the risk of dementia.

Memory Problems Comparison

Comparing memory loss with amnesia vs dementia, I don’t know which one is worse. If I have early onset dementia, I’d say it’s more frustrating than amnesia. I forget simple words when trying to describe something. I space out quite a bit, because I forget what I’m doing. With amnesia, big chunks of time are erased.

With trying to remember specific words, they usually return to me within a day or less. Although, sometimes I never remember. Trying to communicate, and not being able to, is very frustrating.

With the amnesia, I just figure there will always be memories lost, and I don’t feel I will ever get them back. They tell you it’s temporary memory loss, I don’t believe that for a second. It’s one of those things, if I knew back then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done the ECT. Live and let learn, I guess.

Amnesia Symptoms Explained

Amnesia is when someone experiences memory loss, which can be temporary or permanent. It might make it hard to remember past events, create new memories, or both. The symptoms can differ depending on the type and cause, but here are some of the most common ones:

Memory Loss:
- Difficulty remembering past events (retrograde amnesia).
- Inability to form new memories (anterograde amnesia).
Confusion:
- Feeling confused about time, place, or who someone is.
- Also, difficulty recognizing familiar people or places.
False Memories :
- Filling in memory gaps by creating made-up or misremembered memories.
Difficulty Learning New Information:
- All in all, struggling to retain new facts, skills, or experiences.
Preserved Cognitive Abilities:
- Maintaining strong intelligence, focus, and language skills even with some memory challenges.
Emotional Distress:
- Anxiety, frustration, or depression due to memory problems.
Physical Symptoms (in some cases):
- Headaches, dizziness, or other symptoms if amnesia is caused by brain injury or illness.

Dementia Early Signs

Comparing amnesia vs dementia, knowing the signs of each is beneficial. Early signs of dementia can be easy to miss. Therefore, it might look a little different, depending on the type. Here are some common early symptoms to keep an eye on:

Memory Loss:
- Losing track of recent events, conversations, or appointments? Finding yourself leaning more on reminders or asking family members for help?
Difficulty with Planning or Problem-Solving:
- Furthermore, having trouble keeping up with a recipe, managing your finances, or staying focused on tasks?
Confusion with Time or Place:
- Losing track of dates, seasons, or time passing. Feeling disoriented in places you know well.
Trouble with Familiar Tasks:
- Trouble with everyday tasks, like driving to a familiar place or using household appliances.
Language Problems:
- Having trouble finding the right words, keeping up with conversations, or saying the same thing more than once?
Poor Judgment:
- Making unusual choices, like giving away large amounts of money or forgetting to take care of personal hygiene.
Withdrawal from Social Activities:
- Stepping back from hobbies, work, or social interactions because it feels hard to keep up or a bit embarrassing.
Mood and Personality Changes:
- Feeling more irritable, anxious, down, or overly suspicious? Noticing a change in personality, like becoming unusually quiet or extra assertive?
Misplacing Items:
- Often misplacing items and having trouble retracing steps to find them, occasionally suspecting others might have taken them.
Challenges with Visual-Spatial Skills:
- Difficulty judging distances, recognizing faces, or making sense of visual information can make tasks like driving or navigation a bit more challenging.

Delirium Dementia

My mother could have had this towards the end of her life. She was very delusional, I remember that part. I remember we used to get into some good fights because of it. Basically, I lost a mother long before she passed away. Although, I remember bits and pieces of my mom coming out of her delusional state for my wedding. It was nice to have her back. I don’t quite remember what happened after the wedding.

I guess she was diagnosed with dementia not too long after that. Consequently, I think I was heading downhill with my own struggles with depression and bipolar. It’s funny how you can remember the sad times, but forget the happy times. At least for my early memories, that is true for the most part.

If I have early onset dementia, I would hope I don’t have the delirium along with it. Basically, I don’t want to be like my mother, bitter and always angry at everyone who crossed her path. I don’t want to be laying in bed in a nursing home, with no one coming to visit me. All alone.

Amnesia Therapy

Treatments for amnesia focus on tackling the root cause and helping people cope with memory loss. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, here are some common approaches:

Treating Underlying Causes

Infections or Inflammation: Use of antiviral or anti-inflammatory medications.
Brain Injuries: At this point, surgery or rehabilitation for trauma-related amnesia.
Psychological Causes: Therapy for trauma-related dissociative amnesia.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

Memory Training: Fun exercises to boost your memory and fill in those little memory gaps!
Occupational Therapy: At length, it helps people rebuild skills and adapt to memory challenges with ease.

Therapeutic Approaches

Psychotherapy: Helps address the emotional or psychological factors behind amnesia.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps you manage stress and build better coping skills.
Hypnosis: Sometimes helpful for recovering lost memories in cases of dissociative amnesia.

Dementia Therapy

There are many treatments and therapies available for dementia that can help manage symptoms, improve quality of life, and even slow its progression. These options are grouped into medical treatments, non-medical therapies, and lifestyle changes:

Medications

Memantine (Namenda): Commonly prescribed for moderate to severe dementia, it helps manage glutamate, a chemical that plays a key role in brain function.
Medications for Symptoms: Medications like antidepressants, antipsychotics, or anti-anxiety treatments can help with mood swings, agitation, or sleep troubles.

Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST): Fun group activities designed to boost memory, sharpen problem-solving skills, and improve language abilities.
Reminiscence Therapy: Helps bring back past memories to boost both your recall and emotional well-being.
Behavioral Therapy:Supports managing challenging behaviors by spotting triggers and creating helpful coping strategies.

Sum It All Up

Comparing amnesia vs dementia, their single most relevant common denominator is memory loss. Writing this post has made me realize how fast I’m declining in the cognitive area. With the spacing out, forgetting simple words, and just losing chunks of memory, it makes me realize how precious life really is. I wasn’t thinking about that back in 2018 when I tried to end my life. Life is what you make of it, not what happens to you.

I see clearer now about how I would like my future to go, but I have come to the realization that I may end up taking a scarier path. One filled with uncertainty of the unknown. I envision me in my new apartment with my two cats typing away doing my posts.

But there is a chance that might not come true. But still, one can hope and dream of those things to come true. It’s in God’s hands. If I am dealt with the other scenario, I will just take one day at a time and live those days to the best of my ability. No regrets. Peace and always love. Until next time…