What is Your Compass Rose?

Have you ever taken a cruise, or even thought about doing so? Getting aboard a cruise ship for the first time and not knowing what is coming next might create a bit of fear. Fear that may have kept you from booking the trip for months, and maybe from doing it at all.

Not being able to “see land,” or the destination, can sometimes lead to anxiety. But turn that understanding around; once experienced, you may not be able to imagine a life without the joy of meeting new people and exploring new cultures.

But even well-worn ship captains use tools on every voyage to safely navigate and make steady progress: a map and a compass. Not knowing what's coming next can be frustrating and even disastrous, but with guidance and the right information, there can be a steady calm in the midst of the stormiest weather.

Dementia, like cancer, is a term often fraught with an enormous amount of fear and anger stemming in large part from a shortage of information, or sometimes, too much. It's not uncommon for someone who has lived with a chronic and/or life-threatening illness, or who has acted as a caregiver, upon hearing the topic of a specific disease feels so much pain that they do not wish to revisit the experience in any way, shape, or form. Repeated exposure may help dampen the immediate response, but deep down, without the ability to process unpleasant feelings and without the right tools, it can remain painful for some time.

Having a Compass Can Help

In the case of Dementia, knowing is hard, but good. It's hard because we basically understand what it is: a gradual loss of cognitive abilities. But it's also valuable because the act of "knowing more" can relieve at least some of the anxiety. Having a map and a compass allows you to plan your actions and enhance your responses as you cross the sea of life.

Without a doubt, if you believe you or a loved one or friend is experiencing one or more cognitive challenges, it is imperative to sort through what's going on and begin to understand the possible causes, progression (if, in fact, it's Dementia), care, or interventions that make the most sense given whatever you learn. Neurologists (brain specialists), and particularly those who specialize in Dementia, are the current "Ship Captains" for a full cognitive workup.

That's not to say that primary care physicians don't play an important role; they do. Even trained social workers, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and many other healthcare professionals can help identify issues that need further insight and testing. Don't walk out of an annual check-up and say "everything's okay," if you know in your heart-of-hearts it isn't, or if others you respect and love say that there's something "still going on."

Dig deeper. Get a check-up from the neck-up, as Zig Ziglar used to say. Having a "neuropsych" examination, along with blood tests, a nutritional evaluation, and maybe even certain scans or more advanced tests, is often the right course of action. Eliminate all possible causes, even reversible forms, of cognitive difficulty and, as with most major health issues, seek second opinions as necessary.

Over the next four months, we're going to explore in greater depth the following leading forms of Dementia: Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, and Frontotemporal Dementia. Then we will follow with lesser-known types of Dementia which may result from traumatic brain injury (TBI), repetitive concussions (CTE), infections/viruses (CJD and HIV), alcoholism, and others.

Knowledge is like a compass rose, always pointing north; it can guide, empower, and reduce anxiety. Like a ship setting sail to a new port of call, with a good map and a reliable compass, having "knowledge" tools enables you to chart a course towards your best possible tomorrow.

Author: Kevin Jameson, Volunteer | President | Chairman. Dementia Society of America.

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