Science “This is Not My Beautiful House” and 6 Other Warning Signs of Early Onset Dementia

While occasional moments of confusion are common and could be totally innocuous, it is worth exploring whether they could be signs of the early stages of cognitive decline. If you relate to three or more of the following scenarios, it might be time to speak with a neurologist.

You may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful house.”​

Does your house seem different, or is it the same as it ever was? Have a look around. Do you recognize the people in the photos? If the answer is “yes”, then it probably is your house. If not, it might be time to apologize to the family that does live there and make a hasty exit.

You may find yourself in another part of the world.​

They say travel is good for the soul—however, it can be frightening if you have no idea where you are or how you got there. Being in such a predicament could be an early indicator of dementia. That being said, if your head hurts and your wallet is missing, you’ve probably just been bludgeoned and robbed.

You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile.​

If you suddenly realize you’re barreling down the highway in a car you don’t recognize, slowly pull off the road. Compare the name on the registration to your driver’s license. Are they the same? Good—though that means you may be experiencing dementia-related confusion. If not, it’s likely you stole the car while drunk and should probably ditch it and flee on foot.

You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack.​

If you live in certain parts of the southern United States, living in the type of narrow, rectangular residence called a “shotgun house” would be no cause for alarm, as they are quite common. But if you’re unsure if you’ve ever lived in one before, perform a quick check: Do you have a Southern accent? Are you hungry for jambalaya? Do you know what chitlins are?

You may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful wife.”​

Prosopagnosia, which is the inability to recognize the faces of familiar people, can be scary to experience. If you’re having trouble determining if the woman beside you is your wife or a total stranger, go ahead and ask her. If she screams that she’s never seen you before in her life, calmly climb out of bed and wait for the police to arrive.

You may ask yourself, “How do I work this?”​

As we grow older, it’s perfectly normal to occasionally be confused by technology. It would be understandable to be asking yourself this question while trying to operate the newest iPhone. However, if you’ve been a pilot for years and are suddenly bewildered by the control panel, it may be a sign of a larger problem—not only for you, but for your passengers as well.

Additional warning signs of cognitive problems to be aware of include dressing in ill-fitting clothing, such as a comically oversized suit, or making sporadic, jerky movements that resemble some strange dance. Consider yourself fortunate if something like the above only happens to you once in a lifetime.
Article (Archive)

 

[Distant Ranger]

I HATE THE ANTICHRIST I HATE THE ANTICHRIST I HATE THE ANTICHRIST

 

[Wodanaz]

as if demented niggas be readin articles on the internet and shit. nigga they would just forget anyway. it's time to put them down.

 

[frozen_runner]

The included pictures made this article worth it.

 

[Tanuki Mixed Nuts]

This article feels familiar.

 

[WelfareNiggerQueen]

 

[seri0us]

Me in 2080 (with dementia): My name is Bimmy and where the balls on the dick?
My relatives: What the fuck

 

[Mr.Miyagi]

Same as it ever was.

 

[Otterly]

I know someone who has started to experience face blindness where he never had it before. He’s in his early forties.
There sure are a lot of ‘here’s the signs of early onset dementia/fifty types of odd cancer/cardiac problems/stroke’ right now.

 

[MarvinTheParanoidAndroid]

I know someone who has started to experience face blindness where he never had it before. He’s in his early forties.
There sure are a lot of ‘here’s the signs of early onset dementia/fifty types of odd cancer/cardiac problems/stroke’ right now.

Can viagra help with his particular malfunction or does that only work for Alzheimer's?

I've noticed that blood quality seems to be linked with brain health as well, seeing as how you're a doctor or biologist or somewhere in the medical field, how strong would you say the link is between blood health and mental health?

 

[Otterly]

Can viagra help with his particular malfunction or does that only work for Alzheimer's?

I've noticed that blood quality seems to be linked with brain health as well, seeing as how you're a doctor or biologist or somewhere in the medical field, how strong would you say the link is between blood health and mental health?

Do you mean the health of the circulatory system in general? Or something specific in blood? If the former yeah there’s a link for sure. Alzheimer’s is probably somewhat due to inflammation and similar mechanisms to diabetes and disease response. IMO it’s a symptom not one disease, rather like cancers are. Poor circulatory health directly causes some forms of dementia (vascular dementia) and the inflammation responses that happen with things like diabetes and infection are quite similar to what we see in Alzheimer’s. Some of us think Alzheimer’s is another manifesto on of the processes found in diabetes. Other see response to toxins/viruses/bacteria involved.
So maybe not blood alone but your circulatory system yes. And head injury. I wonder how many blows to the head Bruce Willis took filming for example?

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

I always tend to forget how truly awesome the 80's were.

 

[Positron]

The author forget the most common sign nowadays: "I identify as the opposite sex".

 

[Equal Rights for Androids]

There are many ways you can fight off dementia/lower the chances of you getting it.

Exercise.
Eat healthy—your gut health is tied closely to your mental health. People who eat like shit are more likely to have dementia. Go to sleep on time, especially in middle age.. The easy ones.

Learn. Keep learning. Learning a new language has been shown to help significantly fight against dementia.

Smell new things where and when you can (I don't have a source for this; learned it in my neuro classes). Two types of neurons that your brain will continue to produce as long as you keep telling your brain to after 45 years old are the neurons of the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. If you don't expose yourself to new smells, you'll eventually stop being able to smell them because your brain won't produce new neurons due to lack of novel stimulation. Likewise with learning. If you stop learning, your brain will decrease the amount of new neurons in the hippocampus.

Get enough sunlight. Scientists have noticed a trend that those who are further from the equator are more likely to have dementia. This is because low vitamin D levels can increase your risk of dementia.

Most importantly: Do a puzzle every single day. A puzzle like sudoku. Regardless of exercise, studies have found those that have done a puzzle every day since they were young prevented Alzheimer plaques from forming. You can't pick it up in your 60s and expect it to save you (but it can delay progression/onset of symptoms). Start now.

Consider setting up a contingency plan if you or a loved one suspects that you may have dementia. Dementia is not a fun thing to go through. You're no longer yourself. You suffer, your family suffers, people around you suffer. An assisted suicide plan should be written while you're still cognizant.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Are you hungry for jambalaya? Do you know what chitlins are?

Dammit. I have dementia.