Dementia and hypnosis: Promoting relaxation
Losing one's keys is something many people are very good at, but if at some point you have lost not only your keys, but also your socks or something else continuously, it may indicate a problem. Especially if you also can't get out of your words or can't get certain logical thoughts to line up for reasoning. In that case, you have symptoms that may belong to dementia. Not feeling like anything anymore is also a symptom of dementia.
To see what you can do about dementia, in this article I will discuss what it is, what you can do about it and what developments there are for treating dementia.
What is dementia?
Dementia is not a distinct disease. It is an umbrella term for several conditions with similar symptoms based on deterioration of brain function. Typically, the degree to which one can think properly is reduced because, for example, memory no longer functions properly. This cognitive decline causes daily functioning to be limited.
Symptoms of dementia may include:
- Memory Loss
- Not being able to communicate well
- Conversations and not being able to put words to words
- Diminished logic and judgment
- Reduced visual perception
One way to recognize memory problems, for example, is forgetting to pay bills or getting lost as soon as you are no longer in your own neighborhood. Preparing food can also suddenly become a big task.
Still, it is important not to self-diagnose, but to see a doctor. Sometimes features of dementia can also indicate other problems that can be resolved, such as:
- Depression
- Side effects of medication
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Thyroid Problems
- Alcoholism
Forms of dementia
When seeing a doctor to check if you, or a loved one, is suffering from dementia, it is important to know that there are multiple forms of dementia.
Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a well-known form of dementia because 60 to 80 percent of people with dementia suffer from it. The problems of memory loss and inability to follow conversations properly is a hallmark of Alzheimer's.
There is actually no difference between Alzheimer's and dementia; Alzheimer's is primarily a form of dementia.
Vascular dementia
People also suffer greatly from vascular dementia. This is a form of dementia that often results from a stroke or brain hemorrhage. Unfortunately, dementia caused by a stroke can also cause you to live shorter lives just like Alzheimer's.
It is a progressive disease that gets worse as time passes.
Dementia with lewy bodies
This form of dementia is very similar to Alzheimer's in that symptoms such as insomnia, sluggishness and Parkinson's-like movements are common with this form. The lewy bodies, which are a type of particles, can occur in the cortex of your brain and cause damage there that can cause dementia symptoms. Unfortunately, this form is also irreversible.
Mixed dementia
In some cases, features of Alzheimer's disease and lewy bodies dementia are both seen as well as vascular dementia. In that case, it is also referred to as mixed dementia.
Unfortunately, this form of dementia is not noticed until after the patient dies; other forms are often obvious by then, such as Alzheimer's.
Parkinson's dementia
Parkinson's is also a form of dementia characterized primarily by uncontrollable tremors. In some cases, other symptoms similar to Alzheimer's also appear over time.
Frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia says something about where the brain is damaged by dementia. Personality changes are characteristic of this form of dementia. Language problems are also a hallmark of frontotemporal dementia.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
This disease affects not only humans, but also animals. For example, mad cow disease (BSE) is an example of cows affected by this disease. It is characterized by memory loss and motor disorders.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
In this form of dementia, too much fluid enters the brain. It can be recognized by difficulty walking and memory loss. It can also be difficult to control urination.
Sometimes surgery can stop symptoms.
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease involves a genetic defect on the fourth chromosome. It usually reduces thinking and reasoning abilities. In addition, you may suffer from uncontrolled movements. Psychological problems such as irritability, depression and mood swings are also characteristic of this form of dementia.
Korsakov syndrome (not an official form of dementia)
Korsakov syndrome can occur with vitamin B1 deficiency, something common in people with alcoholism. Memory loss is the major complaint in this disease.
Stages of dementia
Not every form of dementia has distinct stages, but the following stages are observed in many cases:
Mild cognitive impairment: Thinking becomes less easy.
Mild dementia: You can often still do everyday things, but you suffer more from memory loss (losing keys), mood swings, putting things in the wrong place, difficulty with money matters, voicing thoughts.
Moderate dementia: Increased incidence of confusion, memory loss of things from long-term memory, need help with dressing and other daily rituals, agitation and suspicion, disturbed sleep patterns.
Severe dementia: No longer able to communicate, need help with daily tasks, physical problems, suffer from infections more quickly.
Dealing with incipient dementia
Beginning dementia is very unpleasant for the person suffering from it. Thinking becomes more difficult and this can make you very insecure . Research does show that people with incipient dementia do certain things to cope with this.
- Accepting the situation as it is
Sometimes it is difficult to accept that your health is not what it used to be. Yet accepting the situation can help make you happier during onset dementia. One way to accept the situation as it is is to use mindfulness .
Mindfulness is a technique that promotes acceptance by being in the here and now with your attention. Of course, this is not always necessary, but if you get thoughts of how you would like things to be, it can help to let go of those thoughts.
- Maintain social relationships
Because you know you won't know as much in a while, it can be important to strengthen important friendships or family ties . Research shows that people with early dementia often deepen their relationships to get more happiness out of life.
- Engage in meaningful activities while you still can
Another way with how people with early dementia cope is by engaging in meaningful activities. This can be strengthening friendships that you value, but helping other people can also feel good.
Research also shows that volunteering during retirement can reduce the risk of dementia. In the study, seniors who volunteered were less likely to need dementia treatment than seniors who did not volunteer.
- Optimism
Optimism is also very important for people with dementia. This can mean looking at the disease in a different way. Instead of focusing on what you can't do, focus on what you can still do. Rethinking can be very important for optimism.
Current treatments for dementia
Dementia is a progressive disease that mainly slows down and affects the behavior of the person with dementia when they are no longer calm. Because some connections in the brain no longer work properly, people with dementia may become more agitated than normal. There are several therapies used to reduce the symptoms of dementia.
Initially, medications are prescribed to affect brain function so that agitation can be suppressed in a normal way.
Puppet Therapy
One such form of therapy to calm people with dementia is through the use of baby dolls. Patients with dementia who receive doll therapy are often happier, more lively, nicer to the people who care for them and interact better with people around them.
Improved sleep hygiene
Dementia also affects the level of sleep. This is annoying not only for the person with dementia, but also for the patient's partner or even caregiver. Therefore, extra attention is often given to improving sleep hygiene and keeping the person with dementia active during the day to improve sleep at night.
Development of new treatments with hypnosis
Currently, treatments for dementia are being tested with hypnosis. For example, healthy people get a temporary idea with hypnosis that they (temporarily) no longer recognize their reflection in the mirror. This is also something that can occur in dementia. Knowledge that researchers gain about this in people under hypnosis is then used to improve treatments for dementia.
Supporting dementia treatment with hypnosis
Hypnosis itself is not always possible in people with dementia because the brain no longer functions optimally. However, techniques from hypnosis can be used to support the treatment of someone with dementia, such as repeating soothing suggestions, using relaxation techniques and the calming music sometimes used during hypnosis.
Want to learn more about techniques to better manage chronic illness or reduce stress? Then check out the workshops and trainings offered by the Hypnosis Institute Netherlands.
Sources:
http://www.hypnosisaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/10330_AJCEH_2016_FINAL.pdf#page=45
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/cns/1/2/184/
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https://synapse.koreamed.org/search.php?where=aview&id=10.12786/bn.2015.8.1.19&code=0176BN&vmode=FULL
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1471301216643191
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1471301212447028
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0173885
http://www.alz.org/dementia/types-of-dementia.asp
http://www.healthline.com/health/dementia/stages#diagnosis3
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