Coping With the Grief of a Loved One"s Alzheimer"s Diagnosis
Updated June 08, 2015.
Coping with a loved one's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is a traumatic experience. The grief that accompanies seeing your loved one become more like a stranger may be overwhelming. This article helps explain the high rates of caregiver stress and depression in Alzheimer's caregivers. Learning how to deal with the grief may be very beneficial to both you and your loved one.
Grief may be experienced as a mental, physical, emotional, or social reaction, and may include feelings of denial, anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair.
Everyone grieves differently, and you shouldn't feel there is an expected or normal way to grieve.
Alzheimer's disease is a particularly difficult disease to cope with, in part because of the sadness in seeing your loved one's mind deteriorate. This deterioration of the mind is why some people fear an Alzheimer's diagnosis even more than a cancer diagnosis. As legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano said at the end of a famous speech in 1993, 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer:
Other issues relevant to an Alzheimer's diagnosis include confusion about reversal of parenting or spousal roles, and the sense of loss of control and uncertainty about the future.
Important occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are especially difficult, in part because you see your loved one contributing less and less to the life of the family.
Caregiver support groups are an excellent way to share your feelings of grief and other complicated emotions with others who are going through a similar experience. Similarly, enrolling in a research study or having your loved one go to a memory clinic may lead to long-term relationships with health care professionals who can help with the grief process.
Maintaining social and family activities is important, as is regular exercise. Other useful strategies include educating yourself so that some of the myths of Alzheimer's disease may be dispelled, as well as channeling your energy towards helping your loved one live with the disease with as little distress as possible.
Organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association and the Family Caregiver Alliance are also excellent places to turn to for help.
Source:
American Rhetoric. Accessed March 7, 2010. Arther Ashe Courage & Humanitarian Award Acceptance Address
Coping with a loved one's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is a traumatic experience. The grief that accompanies seeing your loved one become more like a stranger may be overwhelming. This article helps explain the high rates of caregiver stress and depression in Alzheimer's caregivers. Learning how to deal with the grief may be very beneficial to both you and your loved one.
How Grief is Experienced
Grief may be experienced as a mental, physical, emotional, or social reaction, and may include feelings of denial, anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair.
Everyone grieves differently, and you shouldn't feel there is an expected or normal way to grieve.
Grief in Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a particularly difficult disease to cope with, in part because of the sadness in seeing your loved one's mind deteriorate. This deterioration of the mind is why some people fear an Alzheimer's diagnosis even more than a cancer diagnosis. As legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano said at the end of a famous speech in 1993, 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer:
"Cancer can take away all of my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."
Other issues relevant to an Alzheimer's diagnosis include confusion about reversal of parenting or spousal roles, and the sense of loss of control and uncertainty about the future.
Factors that Affect Grieving
How you grieve will depend on your relationship with your loved one, your own coping skills, support you receive from others, and many other factors.Important occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are especially difficult, in part because you see your loved one contributing less and less to the life of the family.
Importance of Support Groups and Other Resources
Caregiver support groups are an excellent way to share your feelings of grief and other complicated emotions with others who are going through a similar experience. Similarly, enrolling in a research study or having your loved one go to a memory clinic may lead to long-term relationships with health care professionals who can help with the grief process.
Maintaining social and family activities is important, as is regular exercise. Other useful strategies include educating yourself so that some of the myths of Alzheimer's disease may be dispelled, as well as channeling your energy towards helping your loved one live with the disease with as little distress as possible.
Organizations such as the Alzheimer's Association and the Family Caregiver Alliance are also excellent places to turn to for help.
Source:
American Rhetoric. Accessed March 7, 2010. Arther Ashe Courage & Humanitarian Award Acceptance Address