Alzheimer’s – the Monster under the Bed

Half the 5 million-odd Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s are in the early stage of the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association has now published the thoughts of more than 300 of them in this early stage; they have summarized the important points in The Alzheimer News of 8/26/08.

The general tone of the subjects’ feelings is a desire not to be stigmatized, even by family and friends. Thy want to be seen as capable of contributing to society, and staying involved. If these people are treated with dignity and respect, they’ll keep their involvement in life. As the article says: People with early stage Alzheimer’s repeatedly point out that they are living with Alzheimer’s, not dying from it.

It’s been said, “Alzheimer’s is like a monster under the bed. You have two choices: You can either look under the bed and scope out the monster and see what tools you have to fight him, or you can sit there and wait for him to come. There’s so much you can do if you know early on.”

Educating the public about early-stage Alzheimer’s will increase earlier diagnoses and can help boost participation in clinical trials, aiding the development of new drugs to halt the disease.