The Genius of Caring

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Happy Spring! We hope this time of year finds you well and enjoying the springtime weather and blossoms.

My mother Pam was a gifted and compassionate therapist. Much of her professional life, especially he time working with teens, was dedicated to reducing the stigma around depression and mental illness. In the first few years my mom was struggling with changes related to her Alzheimer's diagnosis, we were overwhelmed and confused. We want to share this clip from The Genius of Marian, where we struggled as a family, both She is having trouble accepting her Alzheimer's diagnosis and her son Luke -- a fourth year resident in Psychiatry -- struggles to get her to take the medication the doctor has prescribed. People living with Alzheimers and other types of dementia can experience a variety of emotions including depression, anxiety, agitation. In order to help people cope better, oftentimes medication will be prescribed to help out those individuals. However, due to stigma in our society around both dementia and mental health, it can make treating people challenging.   

Those with the disease report being misunderstood because of the myths and misconceptions others have about the disease. Take a step towards reducing mental health stigma, by visiting NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. The Alzheimer's Association also has some great resources on overcoming stigma. Here is a good article from The Mental Health Foundation about dementia and mental health. The Alzheimer's Association also has some helpful information about agitation, anxiety, aggression and other mental health-related conditions possible with dementia. 

It's important that we help to remove the stigma around dementia and mental health so that our loved ones can be treated properly and with respect. 

Thank you for all your generous support. 

In gratitude,

Banker & The Genius of Caring Family

Links:

• Pam is having trouble accepting her Alzheimer's diagnosis.