More Alzheimers/Dementia Fears Advice requested!

[sfm]

Hi, friends,

I apologize for posting a new thread so soon after my last one, and mods. can merge if need be, but I'm sort of in a desperate state.

Short version: I am 48, and I am truly terrified I have early Alzheimers or some other kind of dementia. Every day I am experiencing some sort of forgetfulness, and by themselves they seem minor, but together they seem very alarming.

Yesterday I got through the whole day without an, "Episode," but just now my son came in from walking the dog, and I had completely forgotten he was out with him! As soon as I saw him, I remembered that he had said he was going to walk him and put his collar on him and everything, but after that I had gone and taken a shower, and when I came downstairs, I had completely forgotten he had gone. I thought he was out in the backyard. I'm sitting here thinking about what would have happened if he had gone missing or something, and I wouldn't have been able to tell the police where he'd gone! I know that sound ridiculous (does it?).

I know everyone has things from time to time, but I feel like this is happening to me so often, and I can't figure out if I'm over attending to normal things, or if this is really something to be alarmed about. I have had health anxiety and anxiety and OCD for most of my life, and I have mostly gotten over assessing my physical symptoms and worrying about cancer and so on, but I do not know how to get over this. It seems impossible right now.

I am on some kind of technology and generally distracted all the time, which is what my husband thinks it's all about. I just don't know. How do you get your brain to stop thinking about what's going on in your brain? lol.....And I do know the exact thing that triggered all this which was my mom's surgery for a brain tumor back in April. Naturally, I can't think I have a curable, benign condition, though, it has to be the worst scenario for me!

Thanks for letting me get that all out. I know my husband won't be able to take it if I message him. If anyone has advice on how to get out of this loop, I would surely appreciate it.

[Fishmanpa]

It really is a common reaction to anxiety and stress. You said your mind has been distracted with technology so.....

Positive thoughts

[sfm]

Thank you. I had somehow not read that post.
What's hard for me is to accept that I can be having anxiety symptoms at times that I don't feel anxious. Like, we are just hanging out at home today. I don't really have anything I'm feeling particularly anxious about except this whole losing my mind thing. lol Thank you for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.

[Fishmanpa]

My Mother had dementia before she passed. Nothing that you described compares...

Remember...

Anxiety is like a campfire. When you're in the midst of a spiral the fire is burning bright and hot. When the flames die down, there's still a bed of red hot coals burning away just waiting for some more fuel. You may not feel anxious but your body is still on high alert and has a bed of hot anxiety coals inside just waiting to flare up. Just like a campfire, the hot coals of anxiety take a long time to finally go out.

Positive thoughts

[sfm]

OK.....I've been doing o.k. but it's happened again! My husband mentioned that my brother in law hit a log with his boat. Well, apparently, he and I had a whole conversation about this several weeks ago.

It's not like I had forgotten the conversation and then remembered it; it's like I have NO memory of it ever happening. I mean I do. not. remember having this conversation at all. Can that possibly be normal?

I am absolutely terrified that I have early onset Alzheimers, and I have no clue how to get beyond this or whom to talk to about it.

[nomorepanic]

Talk to your doctor who can do tests for it.

[sfm]

I know speaking with the doctor would be a logical approach, but I am afraid if I do that it will mean I have it for sure.
And another part of me thinks that if I do have it, it's likely so mild right now that it wouldn't be detectable. I read a book about a woman with early onset Alzheimers at the bookstore a couple weeks ago, and naturally, that has made it all worse.

[bin tenn]

I know speaking with the doctor would be a logical approach, but I am afraid if I do that it will mean I have it for sure.
And another part of me thinks that if I do have it, it's likely so mild right now that it wouldn't be detectable. I read a book about a woman with early onset Alzheimers at the bookstore a couple weeks ago, and naturally, that has made it all worse.

Seeing your doctor about it has no bearing on whether or not you actually have any illness. You either have it or you don't. I understand, I used to feel the same way about other issues, that going to the doc and asking about it meant I was more likely to have it. Doesn't work that way though.