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eLearning Series: Mental Illness
Explain Mental Illnesses To Me
Diagnosing
Dementia and Symptoms
Dementia
is a brain disfunction that leads to a loss in being able
to function with daily activities.
Dementia can take place in many different forms, and causes
you to lose several different ways of functioning. Alzheimer’s
disease is one of the most common forms of dementia. By knowing
what symptoms to look for, you will be able to diagnose dementia
and help others or yourself in recovering from the disfunction.
One
of the most recognizable mental symptoms of dementia is
confusion. This confusion will cause one to not be able to
recognize the daily activities that they are supposed to do.
At certain points, those with dementia can’t tell who their
friends, family and loved ones are as well. The confusion that
results from dementia then takes on several different mental
forms that function every day living.
The second part of dementia is related to an impaired
memory and orientation. Those with dementia will constantly not be
able to find things and will loose sense of their body in relation
to their mind. Forgetting routines is one way in which this
memory becomes impaired. Forgetting where things are in your
own home is another sign of this impaired memory. Often times,
the forgetfulness will effect work as one will forget appointments
or names of those around them. The disorientation will also
include a loss in being able to recognize space and surroundings.
The spatial and temporal orientation is usually associated
with this.
Concentration is another part of dementia that is affected.
Overtime, the levels of concentration that one may have will
start to diminish. A lack of focus as well as the inability
to stay on one task for a long time is affected by dementia.
Oftentimes, those with dementia will have a hard time concentrating
on having a conversation as well.
The next thing that will be noticeable is a lack
of planning and judgement. These are often times a result of the loss of
memory. It is also part of the confusion towards external activities
that are taking place. Lack of planning and judgement is often
a result of the other symptoms that have taken affect in dementia.
Personality
changes also begin to take a role in the characteristics
of dementia. One may notice that one who is getting dementia
will begin to change their attitude towards you as well as
the environment around them. These personality changes are
not as noticeable at first. However, as time goes on, mood
swings will begin to take place. If you see someone who is
beginning to have dementia, they may go through a phase of
being happy in one minute and angry in another. Another part
of this is that typical responses to situations and people
will begin to change dramatically with their responses.
The last type of symptoms that are developed with dementia
involves speech and walking disorders. With speech, this will
begin by one not being able to use simple words anymore, and
will have a hard time finding the right words to use when communicating.
The body will then begin to shut down and not be able to function
properly. Not being able to swallow properly, for example,
is one of the physical effects that take place. The later stages
of dementia, or Alzheimers, will often cause the person to
not be able to walk at all. Speech will become inconsistent
and slurred, as it looses it’s functioning in relation to the
brain.
Dementia, as well as Alzheimer’s disease occurs because the
nerve cells in the brain begin to deconstruct instead of grow.
This result, instead of naturally occurring, happens at a fast
pace. It is also known to be a result of different genetic
mutations that occur. These begin to take affect in one’s older
age, causing the nerve cells to break down faster.
Dementia can become a serious mental illness, especially in
relation to Alzheimer’s disease. The confusion that begins
with dementia is a first sign that you should find help to
slow down the nerve cells in your brain from deconstructing.
If you see that someone you know is forgetting things, having
a hard time communicating, or is taking on severe mood swing
and personality changes, then it is important to find them
the right help. # # # # #
by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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