Dealing with the fear and using it in your favor!

If one of your parents was diagnosed with dementia, you probably have a recurring thought: will it happen to me?

This kind of fear is expected; we all know genetics play an essential role in our health. It only becomes a problem when every time you forget

your keys or your umbrella, it triggers a personal drama.

Becoming hypervigilant about our memory lapses may add stress and impact our quality of life.

If you catch yourself acting like your memory police, remember that the genetics equation is way more complicated than “my parent has

dementia, so sooner or later, I’ll develop it too.” A study on the genealogy database of Utah (1) residents revealed that although individuals

with at least one close relative with Alzheimer’s have a higher risk of inheriting the condition, most of them won’t develop the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2) ranks aging and not genetics as the primary cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

If you can’t avoid the fear, try to use it in your favor. Make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the disease, like exercising regularly,

practicing meditation, and keeping your brain sharp by solving crossword puzzles, sudoku, or playing board or card games.

Support groups are available all over the US. They are a free resource to support your emotional and mental health towards the fear of

developing dementia. Sharing your thoughts face-to-face with people who know what you are going through is an underestimated experience

in the age of mobile phones and Zoom meetings.

Alzheimer’s Association Support Group Meeting at Via Health Services Des Moines:

3rd Tuesday of every month at 5 p.m.

4911 SW 19th St, Des Moines, IA 50315

Useful links about the theme:

(2)https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm#:~:text=Age%20is%20the%20best%20known,risk%20of%20developing%20Alzheimer’s%20disease

(3) https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/2018-05-29/over-half-people-fear-dementia-diagnosis-62-cent-think-it-means-life-over

(4) https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/can-i-prevent-dementia