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I take care of my mom (with my siblings, though I'm primary) and she has been angry more often than not. She was diagnosed years ago and she's just about starting the late stage. With my mom, losing control has always been a deep seated fear. So everything Alz does is scaring the hell out of her. It easily becomes too much for her and she loses her temper.
1. It took me a while to figure that out. At first I always felt she was mad at me (my natural reaction when my mom yells at me is panic that I've done something bad and I'm in trouble.) I've had to rewire my own brain to not react normally and pay more attention to what might be causing Mom's anxiety.
2. After a particularly alarming outburst I brought my concerns to her neurologist at the Memory Care Unit here (I'm so thankful they exist). He explained that our frontal lobe controls how we control our natural impulses and when Alz attacks the frontal lobe, patients will lash out regardless of how much they care about the person receiving the brunt of it. Understanding the mechanics of it somehow helps me.
Our doc prescribed Cymbalta and Trazodone (very low dose). My siblings and I no longer think 'it's all about me' and we're better at recognizing what she's wrestling with and that makes it easier to provide comfort.
It didn't happen overnight but now Mom is generally happy and comfortable. Most obvious to me is that Mom knows that she's not going through Alzheimer's alone and that she's got us.
So score one for us.

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Score one for you and your siblings for talking to her doctor about her symptoms and getting her on the right meds!!

Great post; thank you so much for your wisdom.
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