Daughter of dementia patient: The inevitable?

karishma

After my dad’s diagnosis, I’m terrified of getting dementia myself. I grew up with difficulty learning and remembering things effectively while also dealing with anxiety and depression. So I’ve always been kind of like my dad, I found ways around the problem , never actually taking the time to learn…how to learn…until I was in my late 20s.

I’ve devoted my nights into exercising my brain with apps that target different parts of my brain such as learning a new language, math problems, reading a short book summary, etc. I believe this not only slows down the growth of dementia but has honestly been an exciting journey to a healthy brain.

I’m looking for a group of people who have similar interests in keeping their mind healthy and interested in “learning how to learn”

Any recommendations on group’s? If not, if I started a group to a healthy brain, would you join?

GemsWinner12

Great idea! My mom was diagnosed with alz in 2015 and passed in 2018 , age 79. Now my Dad 82 has dementia. His issues are mostly alcohol-related imo. Just please don’t let this fear take over your life; there is an increased risk for us, but it’s by no means a guarantee it will happen.

DjetteAM

Your doctor should be able to refer you to a neurologist; they can give you a series of tests to see if your memory is in the normal range for your age group. There is also a way they can test you for the “Alzheimer’s gene” so that you know more about your risk and can start on a regiment to mitigate/prevent it from presenting when you get older. My neurologist has the gene himself and he recommends starting lifestyle changes now so that you can protect your brain’s health. His advice is to avoid inflammatory foods like sugar and dairy, they contribute to decline in brain health. Make sure you’re eating a balanced diet with nutritious whole foods. Exercising on a regular basis is said to decrease your risk as well as getting enough sleep. These are things I’m doing now in hopes of keeping my brain happy and healthy. I really hope this helps! Good luck to you.

Julee

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/67040/daughter-of-dementia-patient-the-inevitable

yes

Lucy C

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/67040/daughter-of-dementia-patient-the-inevitable

The part about "devoting your nights" is concerning, because it will be counterproductive to what you are actually trying to achieve. Your brain should not be busy at night. For all its proper functions, including repair work, it needs to sleep early and well. Shut off the electronic devices early, eat supper early (at least three to four hours before bedtime), and give yourself a bit of time to genuinely relax before going to bed early. There is a saying that one hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours afterward. Save the brain exercises for when you are awake and refreshed. (And Djette is absolutely right about avoiding sugar and dairy—by the way, it's also a good idea to avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, high fructose corn syrup, foods high in saturated animal fats, and white processed flour.)

Best wishes!