Is Forgetfulness a Sign of Old Age or Dementia?

As you continue to age, forgetfulness may become increasingly common.

Is your forgetfulness due to dementia or old age? This is the concern of many individuals. The greater the concern, the more the anxiety, and the worse the scenario may become. 

The signs of dementia are many; however, there is no single behavior that can be identified as the hallmark characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Dementia symptoms are usually gradual and  progressive until they become problematic in the patient.

You may have good reasons for concern if you show the following: you cannot concentrate and focus (absence or gradual disappearance of memory cues in the brain); you cannot understand sounds and you become a passive listener and lose interest in music and social skills; you cannot enjoy good food or appreciate music and art (loss of senses); you cannot identify understand or identify problems; you cannot prioritize (inability to cope with changes); and you begin to have fewer activities and less mobility.

The above symptoms are NOT signs of old age, but problematic characteristics of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Aging is "benign senile forgetfulness." The signs and symptoms of old age are quite different from those of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Old age symptoms, manifested in forgetfulness, are simple lapses in memory: forgetting the name of a person just met; not finding the right word or expression while communicating; taking more time to learn a new things; taking longer time to react or respond.

The above symptoms often worsen due to frustration and increased anxiety, giving the concern of Alzheimer's and dementia. These lapses may be a nuisance, but never a problem. The changes in behavior are continual and gradual, due to the decrease of brain function, but never problematic. This is the main difference between forgetfulness and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Another important determinant factor is the normal cognitive function of the brain. It may take you longer to learn a new task, but you can learn it because your cognitive function remains unimpaired even if you continue to age. That’s why it is important to utilize your brain as much as possible. Remember, use it or lose it.

Sharpening your memory may even delay the onset of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. You might have heard of mnemonics and how it can improve your memory - yes, it is simple and easy to learn to make memorization a breeze.

Keep your brain healthy with a healthy brain diet, which is essentially a healthy diet for a healthy heart, because what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

Mental health is longevity health. A healthy mind adds many more good years to your life.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Use Impaired Memory to Cope with Everyday Living

Impaired memory will cause problems in everyday living. An individual with impaired memory may or may not be aware of the impairment. Therefore, it is important that family members do everything possible to help that individual to cope with everyday problems.

Money management is always a problem. Money is equivalent to independence. An impaired individual may be reluctant to relinquish control over money matters. But if that individual has difficulty in balancing the checkbook or shows reckless spending, then family members may have to take control of money management. It should be noted that it is common for an individual with dementia to become overtly anxious and suspicious, and may even accuse others of stealing his or her money.

An individual in the first phase of dementia may still hold on to his or her job if the job is not too demanding. However, at some point, giving up the job becomes inevitable. Family members should be more considerate, because giving up one's job implies giving up one's identity and self-worth. In addition, there may be other emotional, psychological, and financial implications that require adjustments. Help that individual to adjust accordingly. In particular, pay attention to the mental state: mental depression is not an uncommon outcome when employment ceases. If there is a problem with finance, the Social Security Act provides financial assistance in the form of Supplemental Disability Income. An individual who has worked 20 out of the past 40 calendar quarters will be eligible, and the amount is based on the earnings at the time when employment ceases.

Some individuals with dementia are aware of their own limitations and will stop driving, while others are unwilling to give up driving. If an individual demonstrates good vision, including peripheral vision, good hearing, good coordination of eyes, hands, and feet, and quick reaction, driving may not be an immediate issue. However, getting lost easily, or driving too slowly may be a good indication that it is time to give up driving, whether that individual wants it or not.  Also, an angry or aggressive temperament often points to the unsuitability of driving.

It is important that when helping individuals with an impaired mind to deal with their everyday problems, we should discuss frankly with them our concerns, but without criticizing their behaviors; we should offer alternatives without unduly emphasizing their disability. Understanding their problems and showing care and compassion hold the key to success in helping the impaired mind to cope with everyday problems.

The Alzheimer's Reversing Breakthrough: A proven program to help overcome Alzheimer's disease safely and naturally. Get tips from the world's top doctors and Nobel Prize winners on how to eliminate harmful prescription drugs, and take back your life for good!

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

What Can Happen To An Aging Mind

Due to the advancement of magnetic resonance imaging, scientists have discovered significant changes in an aging mind. These are some of the findings that may be of interest to you:

(1) A slow but steady decline in short-term memory: such as opening the door of your refrigerator and then not knowing what you are looking for.

(2) A decline in verbal ability: such as not finding the right or exact word (even though it may be a simple and common word) to express yourself

(3) A decline in logical thinking: especially with numbers, such as difficulty with simple addition or subtraction

The above may occur in the 60s or 70s, although the conditions or symptoms may vary significantly in individuals.

The human brain has billions of cells, and only a fraction of it has been tapped into, so how does it explain the decline and malfunctioning of one of the most important human organs?

Along your life -- in particular in the latter half of it -- you may experience more grief, due to bereavement or loss of friends and loved ones. Yes, time may heal all wounds, but healing takes time (as much as two years for some individuals), and you may not have too much time left for one healing after another. The bottom line: your life may become more than grief. The moral lesson: be kind to yourself! Progress one day, and regress the next.

In addition to grief, another factor that may play havoc with your aging mind is stress. Evidently, stress increases with age:

(1) Your memory becomes more impaired, and you thus become more stressed in not finding what your need or expressing yourself efficiently. Learn to de-clutter your life so that it becomes more organized. If your physical environment is less cluttered, your mind may also become more organized. De-Clutter Fast show shows you how to organize your personal life for a healthy mind.

(2) Your health may start to decline, and medical conditions are stressful.

(3) Your financial health may also become another stress factor -- especially if you have a fixed income and you are confronted with the rising cost of inflation.

Do what you can to de-stress your life. Worrying won't solve the problem. Guided meditation is most effective in relaxing the aging mind. Spirituality is your best friend as you age. 

Mind Secrets Exposed: Learn the art of getting what you want out of life. If you find yourself facing constant frustration from never-ending problems in life, or you feel as though your life is a proverbial treadmill, not going anywhere. Now is the time to take charge of your life. It is all in your subconscious mind that is the real power center of your being and the "headquarters" of your body. Use state-of-the-art subliminal messages to transform your subconscious mind in order to change your conscious mind.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

A Compulsive Mind Is A Stressful Mind

Descartes, the great philosopher, made his famous statement: “I think, therefore I am.” Accordingly, we think and we become what our thoughts say we are.

Our thoughts are based on our experiences, or rather our perceptions of those experiences as well as our projections of those experiences in the future. Our thinking minds continuously alternate between thoughts of our past experiences and projections of those experiences in the future. Indeed, many of us are compulsive thinkers; that is, we think continuously—even in our sleep in the form of dreams in our subconscious minds. Because our minds are thinking non-stop, we are constantly identifying ourselves with our thoughts in our subconscious minds, whether we want it or not, causing confusion and self-delusion—the source of mental stress. Therefore, it is important that we need to stop our compulsive minds whenever we choose to, just as we turn off our computers. That may be a little difficult, but not totally impossible.

Stress is mental perception of fear based on our past experiences. Once the input is stored in our subconscious minds, it begins to generate negative thoughts that control our conscious minds, leading to anxiety and fear. Given that many of us are compulsive thinkers, our non-stop thinking minds begin not only to dwell on those thoughts of anxiety and fear, but also to believe in their realities. A compulsive mind is a stressful mind that creates chronic stress.

The only way to stop a compulsive mind is to stop the thinking process temporarily to give the mind a break. This can be achieved through meditation, or simply practicing mind training, such as mental attention or concentration on the present moment.

In your everyday life, you can practice mind training to focus on the present moment. Essentially, you are giving your full attention to what you are doing at that very present moment. For example, you can focus your mind on your walking. Pay close attention to every step, every movement of your hands and feet, your breathing, and your body sensations while you are walking. Many people do their walking while listening to their music, or worse, talking on the phone; they are not letting their minds focus on the present moment.

Practice mind training to stop the compulsive mind for stress relief and stress management.

A Course in Mind Power: Learn how to control your thoughts; instead of letting your thoughts control your mind. To live a stress-free life, your mind has to be in control of your thoughts, which affect your choices and decisions in life, which then become your life experiences.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau