Alzheimer’s Can Cause Personality Changes
“Mother never acted like that,” Jenny remarked when her mom began swearing at her roommate, then continued at the nurse who attempted to calm her. “Mother always punished us children if we swore,” Jenny continued.
Frequently the Alzheimer’s patient will have changes in personality that makes family members wonder if he/she is really the same person. Swearing, when someone never did, isn’t unusual a nurse told me. Also, actions like someone unbuttoning her blouse in public when it becomes uncomfortable aren’t rare either. Having mood swings, bursting into tears, or becoming angry for no apparent reason often become the norm at various stages of Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s patient may develop a short temper when they were patient, have a liking for a food they didn’t eat before, or decide they have a fear of water (bath or shower) that never bothered them previously. These and other actions may occur when they didn’t earlier in life.
Mild changes in personality and habits occur as a person goes from one stage of life to another or finds themselves in situations they must adapt to throughout life. However, with Alzheimer’s, abrupt swings in personality become common.
Sometimes they last for a short time and in other cases they continue for a longer period. Some of these reactions can be caused by confusion, frustration, and fear as Alzheimer’s changes their life and perception of life.
Learning more about Alzheimer’s and how the patient will react to various situations enables the caregiver to have more patience with the unexpected.
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