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Early onset dementia

(8 Posts)
Tuaim Sat 27-Jul-24 06:11:58

I have just read an article about a gentleman whose wife was diagnosed at 61 with early onset dementia. It seemed to come on quite quickly and she was gone within a few years. Why I ask this is because a few years ago I had a friend who became quite aggressive and started to interfere in other people's lives. She was late middle age and, long story short, was also having trouble at work arguing with co-workers. I heard the other day that she had been diagnosed with dementia and she is now in her mid 60s. I was very sad to hear her news but wonder if her early dementia may have begun to manifest itself in her much earlier outbursts. Sorry, this is just a query but I wondered if others had had this experience?

Chocolatelovinggran Sat 27-Jul-24 07:25:09

Yes, the early stages of dementia may present as irritability and irrational arguments and anger.

Vintagewhine Sat 27-Jul-24 07:45:28

Yes, BIL showed signs in his 50's, tbh he'd always been a slightly aggressive man but he became much more so, wouldn't use a cash machine and generally struggled with life. The first thing I noticed was he struggled to learn a new card game when he'd always been very quick to learn such things and that was years before he was finally diagnosed. He died in his late 60s.

harrigran Sat 27-Jul-24 08:01:19

DH had a work colleague who developed young onset dementia, I think he was thirty when diagnosed. DH had been away on a course with him and said he had been behaving irrationally. His condition progressed rapidly and their young children had to go and live with the grandparents.
It was devastating for all concerned.

Mt61 Wed 14-Aug-24 23:19:00

Yes two friends diagnosed, mid 50s- one accidentally found out after having a head scan, after being involved in a car crash. The other friend, became depressed, & clingy & referred by the Gp to the memory clinic. Very sad ๐Ÿ˜”

Mt61 Wed 14-Aug-24 23:21:24

Mt61

Yes two friends diagnosed, mid 50s- one accidentally found out after having a head scan, after being involved in a car crash. The other friend, became depressed, & clingy & referred by the Gp to the memory clinic. Very sad ๐Ÿ˜”

Should have explained, second friend was quite an extrovert & confident, then suddenly started becoming clingy with her husband

biglouis Wed 14-Aug-24 23:29:31

I noticed this with my neighbour some years ago. I would hear her yelling at her poor husband and him answering calmly. Although I dont understand their language it was obvious she was continually nagging at him.

She became more and more paranoid and thought people were "getting at" her. She also found it increasingly difficult to follow a conversation in Rnglish or a simple set of instructions. Talking to her was like having a conversation with a tape recorder. It would go round and round.

Here husband died 3 years ago and she then deteriorated rapidly. I suspect that he had shielded their children from the worst effects of her dementia and now they have to cope with her. They are only now having to come to terms with how bad it is. She wanders up and down behind the houses inadequately dressed in chilly weather and sits out in the garden in the rain getting soaked.

Dementia is not just about "forgetfullness". There are a whole raft of possible personality changes that can go along with it.

biglouis Wed 14-Aug-24 23:31:48

Apologies for typos -pesky tablet.