Does anyone feel like they're developing dementia since caring for a parent with dementia??

This happened to me. The therapist explain to me that this was due to being overwhelmed and the brain just sort of goes on auto pilot. I heard a great defintion of alzheimers. It is not about forgetting where your car key ares, it is about forgetting what the keys are for. You really need some me time. You are doing too much.

Mom needs 24/7 care. I'm sure you are all familiar w this. When she took a fall and the rehab facility wouldn't take her cpap machine seriously the doc and i had words. Doc informed me that the cpap would not help her dementia. I said I knew that but after getting no sleep myself taking care of her i basically had dementia and i didn't see why they thought sleep deprivation was ok for her! Yeah I'm still mad about that :-) we had overnight help for 2 weeks. Happiest time in recent memory! She quit w no notice 2 days ago. So much for getting my sanity back. Sigh. Hang in there all.

I live in a constant state of fear that I'm showing early signs of dementia. Every time The other day I forgot who Prince William was married to - this sounds ridiculous, I realize, but it illustrates my level of paranoia. There are times when I feel like I'm struggling to find the right word for something or I use the wrong word. I'm supposed to get married to a really wonderful man, but watching my father's decline into Alzheimer's has made me so afraid because I don't want him to have to deal with me if the disease comes for me. He thinks I'm being crazy, but I keep telling him that he doesn't understand what it's like to watch someone who once had a beautiful brain forget everything. I completely understand what you are going through right now. I don't know if this would be helpful to you, but I've started reading whenever I have a spare moment and doing brain exercises that help with memory. My doctor says I have nothing to worry about, but that doesn't lessen my concern. I sympathize with you.

Yes, I worry too. I try to look at it objectively.

I had never considered it before my cousin was diagnosed. At first, I was so busy caring for her that I didn't have time to think of anything else. But, after I got her situated, I nearly fell apart. I had all kinds of physical problems ranging from dental, skin, digestive, etc.

Then the worrying about memory started. It's not as much memory as it is focus. It is like being on auto pilot. I know to check my voice mail and I do, but then an hour later, I'm not sure if I did.

I try to think of all that I have on my plate, such as caring for my cousin, my parents who are okay for right now, but still need support, running my own business, doing the paperwork, handling my own affairs, managing my health (I have Type I diabetes) and caring for my 5 year-old great niece who is special needs. And I wonder why I'm not perfect at multi-tasking. I saw on the news that multitasking is a myth and if we think we are doing it well, we are mistaken. lol

Yikes, I had a big senior moment at work today. I went into a co-workers office and I wanted to tell her something but couldn't remember what it was.... she just laughed and said that I would remember when I pull out of the office parking lot :) Then it came to me what it was.

It was just too busy of a morning plus my sig other was dealing with having my parent's car inspected and he was constantly texting me, thus interrupting my train of thought :P

I thought I was loosing my mind also. I would have out of body experiences and view my situation like an outsider looking in. My Doctor told me this is normal for people undergoing a tremendous amount of stress. It is called Dissociative disorder and occurs when the mind cant deal with whats going on. Not to worry. It is generally temporary. I've run through every emotion with my mom on a daily basis. I tried so hard for years to make Mom fit into my world and force some sense into her and got so upset when I couldnt do it. Finally I just started to accept that she cannot change and I started changing my world to fit into hers. Things got a lot better. Everything is perception and what YOU make it out to be. If I make things out to be a big deal, then its a big deal. When I decided to just role with things and let my Mom just do all the things that don't make sense and pretend I know what she's talking about then things got better for everyone. I've just locked up anything that could be of danger to her and let her rearrange my house all day. Its just stuff. Better to have a messy house than a messy attitude.

ginamtmassage - Thanks for explaining that there is actually a really THING called Dissociative Disorder. I had read about it, and I mentioned it to my own doctor, but he basically said it was hogwash.

I've read a lot about how stress can effect your short term memory. I've read how that happens in different ways. Here's an article about one study.

psychcentral/news/2012/09/17/rat-study-shows-how-stress-disrupts-short-term-memory/44704.html

Both of my grandmothers had Alzheimer's and most studies say that this means I will get it too. Every single time I forget something like a word I should know or a reason why I entered a room, I'm convinced that it's got me. Sunnygirl1, that article was really helpful and actually made me feel a lot better about my short term memory loss issues.

I try to think positive. If I'm going to be spared, then my worry about the condition is unnecessary and just drags me down. And if I am going to get it, then I need to enjoy every single moment I have before that time comes. I will have all proper paperwork in order, just in case. lol

I've had to force myself to stop reading about how it is probably inherited. Now, I have reverted to eating what my mother called, "brain food" - tuna, salmon, all things protein packed. I'm not even sure I believe in taking supplements to boost memory, but I'm thinking I may start a regime. Funny you mentioned the paperwork - I've recently started thinking about my own. You're right, though, about the positive thinking. Who knows what kinds of developments they're making to ward off the disease - might be cured in the not too far away future.

Have you ever done something so often that it's like auto pilot, and then you forget that you actually did it? I have loaded the walker into the trunk of the car so often that sometimes I'll be driving and wonder if I actually put it in or if it's still sitting there back at the parking lot!

Yup. All the time. blou

Another thing to consider if you aren't focusing very well or feel foggy is sleep apnea. Some people don't realize they have it or they may have sleep hypopnea, which is shallow breathing during sleep. A sleep study will confirm it.

Your oxygen levels get low and it can wreak havoc on your brain function. It takes months once you start cpap therapy to regain your mental alertness. I'm on month 6 now. I do feel better.

now that I have read through the comments, I guess I have a question for all the Doctors that have said or told you "its because you are overwhelmed or stressed" if that's the case, can the being overwhelmed or stressed cause dementia? I mean that's the elephant in the room given that is what is told to us caregivers. At no time in history have their been this many elderly people with declining minds that need help and most help is from family or friends. So my question for health care providers who just say "its because you are stressed you feel like you are getting dementia" at what point is it true...if you never ever get a break from it until your elder dies?

My mom has two types of dementia but a lot of days I think her mind is actually better than mine! It really scares me.

Sandhya, being constantly stressed out Does contribute to early dementia. It's the breathing (or more like holding your breath in anger, frustration, etc...) and how much oxygen goes to our brain. Our brain neurons need oxygen. So, when we are tense, stressed out, have you notice that you tend to hold your breath to control your anger, frustration? Or when stressed out, you're breathing shorter and faster? Every time you hold your breath, you're also withholding the needed oxygen for your brain.

Stress also leads to constant migraine/tension headaches. When you get these headaches, it also constricts your blood vessels in the brain. Constricted blood vessels means less oxygen going into the brain cells.

And because we're stressed out, in anger, we're not really paying attention to things around us. Then we become 'forgetful' because we can't remember what we did with this or that stuff.

Some solutions that you can do - is Deep breathing several times a day. Slowly deep breath in from the nose (watch your tummy go up) and slowly breathe out from your mouth. Another solution - don't be stingy with those painkillers. (I hate taking pills and so only take 1 instead of 2 for my pounding headaches.) Take it - so that it helps alleviate those constricted blood vessels in your brain.

Oh, my answer to this discussion's question: YES! I have twice asked my doctors if maybe I have dementia because I'm soooooo forgetful. They both said that I'm too young to have dementia. It's just Stress. That I need to get out more and exercise. Uhm.. yes, but who's going to cover for me while I 'get and exercise'?

There have been times that I feel like I'm loosing my mind. Walk around in a fog and not feeling in touch with reality. Forget things and feel like I'm observing my reality as an outsider. A counselor told me this is perfectly normal with people dealing with more stress than the mind can handle. It is called Dissociative disorder. It is your minds way of trying to protect you. It is temporary and goes away when the stress does. I was going crazy trying to make Mom fit into MY world, but life got a lot easier when I surrendered and started just making myself fit into HER world. I don't have to approve or understand what she does...I just roll with it.