Examples

Telling others about the disease may be a challenge. How and when you want to do this is up to you. The most common reactions you will encounter are likely to be ‘shock’ and ‘pity’. Here are some ways people have chosen to tell others about their diagnosis:

• One man chose to write a letter to family and friends in which he and his wife briefly told about the time preceding the diagnosis. In the letter they also expressed how they wanted their family and friends to be together with them in the future. They enclosed a few brochures from Alzheimer's Australia in the letter so the recipients could read about the disease.
• One couple told their family and friends the first time they met after the diagnosis was made. That was good, because both the demented person and their spouse really needed to talk about the disease.
• One couple asked their children to call their friends and tell them. That way the demented person and their spouse got indirect feedback on the friends' reaction which is especially good if there was a bad reaction.
• One wife asked her husband to tell their loved ones. She did not think she could cope with their reactions. That meant that when she met them, then she knew they knew about the diagnosis and that she did not need to talk about it so much. It gave her peace of mind that she could be in the company she was in and that she knew that they would support her if needed.

As you can see, there are many ways to tell about your disease. It is up to you how you want to do it, and maybe you have your own unique way of doing it. The important thing is for it to be at a point in time and in a manner that suits you.

Do not wait too long to tell your loved ones about the disease. Remember that the people around you will begin to notice the changes in you.