Dementia is a topic that everyone seems to be familiar with but when it really gets down to the wire, do they really understand what dementia is? This is something we aim to clarify today.
What is Dementia?
It is not dementia itself that is the illness. In fact, dementia is what they refer to the overall degeneration of cognitive mental abilities. Dementia is a common symptom of a degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s.
Dementia is usually—and incorrectly—assumed to be something that only happens to people of advanced age. Dementia and the other cognitive degenerative diseases do not select age. A reason why people think only the elderly are afflicted with dementia is because a majority of the representation in film and TV are elderly characters.
Dementia affects lives drastically. Here are a few things that it causes:
- Drastic memory loss
- Personality shifts
- Cognitive impairment
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
It is important to note that there are different types of Dementia. Each one has their own specific effects on the human mind and body. If there is anyone in your family that seemingly seems disoriented or has long bouts of faulty memory, you may want to get them checked.
To Conclude
Dementia is something that is mostly glamorized and turned into plot devices in TV and movies. The topic of dementia is suddenly turned into a catalyst that would allow other people to realize their calling or attain closure. Those that struggle with dementia were turned into the giant nuisance that mar otherwise perfect lives.
This is something that we need to fight as well. Dementia should not just be something that is used to convey “what it would be like” or worse case scenarios of another person’s life. Dementia is real and can happen to anyone—this is why we need to find a cure.
What’s your understanding about dementia?
