Frightening Images of Dementia

Dementia can be frightening for all those who are affected. It is most frightening for those who are suffering from dementia themselves, and their loved ones. Frightening images that may be conveyed in the media are an unfortunate and inappropriate portrayal of life with dementia and caring for people who are suffering from a type of dementia. We cannot get the most out of life if we are always thinking of catastrophes and imagining worst case scenarios. There has been a tendency for people to feel "all hope is gone" as soon as the word dementia is mentioned. Today, however, there are many reasons not to lose hope, but still get the most out of life.

There are frightening images in society related to psychological changes and disease in general. These images are negative, generalized preconceptions about something that may have nothing to do with the specific person or the specific situation.

Dementia is an ‘invisible disease’ because it mainly affects cognitive functions. Negative images are often due to ignorance. There is no broken hip, bad back or other visible ailment to signal to the people nearby that the person has a handicap. The disease affects time spent with the person due to the problems that arise in communicating and understanding each other and due to the person's changed behaviour