Anger and agression

Gthoma

Does every PWD end up with aggressive or angry behavior towards others (caregivers)?

TyroneSlothrop

Gthoma,

My DW is in year 4 since diagnosis, but I don’t think she’s anywhere near “ending up.”

But apropos your question, her brain is producing new personalities that surface unexpectedly, and evaporate in seconds. Some of them are suspicious, or paranoid, or cynical, or mean, all uncharacteristic of the original Jane. Some of them do not recognize me (m. 47 years). They are not stable, so there is no point to engage with them. And none of them can learn anything, being without memory.

The evaporation is reliable, if I can just keep from being drawn into a spat.

M1

Short answer, no. There are some who remain calm and cooperative. No one knows what causes the differences.

harshedbuzz

Not in my experience.

For a time, my dad, 2 of my mom's sisters and the mothers of 2 dear friends were all living with dementia. What was striking was how their personalities shifted with the disease. There were aspects that were intensified at times and complete 180s at other times.

Aunt N was a bitter, nasty individual whose personality didn't really change at all-- she stayed nasty, entitled and uncooperative.

Aunt C remained the very social and good-natured lady she'd always been retaining impeccable manners and reaching out to those who were upset in the unit.

Friend 1's mom's real personality came out when her social filter slipped. She had cultivated a very stern and Germanic facade in public that hid a very funny individual-- with dementia more folks got to see that fun side.

Friend 2's mom had always been a quirky individual-- she did Peace Corps (ran a vaccine clinic) after retiring and was very invested in things like world health equity and eradicating treatable diseases in poor countries. In dementia, she became a rabid anti-vaxxer.

My dad's trajectory was the oddest. He and I always had a difficult relationship-- I was aware of a darker side that others didn't see. In the middle and late stages, others who'd only ever known great-guy-dad were on the receiving end of the man I grew up with. But then, in the last 2-3 weeks before he died, I got to see hints of the sweet little boy his old aunts used to describe.

HB

Dio

My grandma remained kind and relatively calm throughout her disease, but my DH is completely the opposite. Of course, Alzheimer's is different from LBD.

SDianeL

My sister has Dementia and has remained mostly calm although her caregivers say she's "stubborn" to which I replied that's is not her problem. It's she's overwhelmed and refuses tasks because of that. My DH has dementia and is going through the anger agitation stage. I asked them to prescribe something to calm him. They started low dose Respiradone at night but so far hasn't helped. Each person is different. The Neurologists can't explain it.

Ed1937

My brother did not act inappropriately during his 8 year battle, and his wife remained happy in MC until her death, about 5 or 6 years after his.

terei

My mom resisted showering + taking meds beginning about a year before she died. No aggression, but refusal to do certain things.