Inhibition, Impulse Control & Dementia

The short video below discusses emotional problems that may occur for people with dementia (time: 2 minutes).

Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias suffer from emotional problems related to the progression of the disease. They lose the ability to control their state of mind and can get lost in emotions, be it calm, angry, happy, excited, sad, etc. Many people with dementia also can’t regulate the intensity of their emotional responses to certain situations or people. This inability to manage emotions is a normal part of the disease, and the dementia patient has no control over it.

This inability to control emotions means that when some dementia patients get mad, they get really mad. They might yell and scream at their caregiver because they’re frustrated by some simple thing and they have no control over their frustration. On the other hand, if they are happy, they might be wildly happy.

There is nothing the dementia patient can do to change this lack of control and their strong emotional responses. As the video states, “People with dementia are doing the best they can.” However, caregivers and loved ones do have the ability to control their own behavior and doing so can make interactions with an Alzheimer’s patient go more smoothly. Do not overreact to their overreactions. Instead, stay calm, no matter how extremely upset or happy the dementia patient is.