Im 21 and think i have dementia

Senior health
1

hi, im a 21 year old male with a nerological spinal condition called transverse myelitis . and last febuary my nana passed away and had dementia, although i didnt notice it at the time , towards the end of her life and when she died i began to get the same symptoms i struggled everyday, but getting my mum to ask questions would help reassure that i didnt have dementia , i went to do CBT felt that didnt work as i forgot everything i was told, then in the summer it mostly went away . untill winter again and its come back worse than ever to the point i dont know where i am in my house, who my close relatives are , and now when i get things right it feels like (a) it wasnt me (b) it was luck (c) no thought process went into doing things. my brain feels like it doesnt work at all, but also feels like it works to much, i cant do anything anymore because im awful at it and forgotten how to do the things i used to love doing ! its all i can think of! on a night i lay awake , even tho im on sleeping pills i get about 3-4 hours a night and even then it doesnt feel like im asleep. i get confused with people too and starting to struggle with words , like reading them, typing them and listening and understanding. im struggling remembering my dogs name and what my mum looks like, even writting this doesnt feel like i did it ! i just want to feel better

hope this makes sense
owen

2

I’m so sorry to hear about your transverse myelitis diagnosis, Owen. However, this condition doesn’t cause dementia symptoms. (I’m a former neuro nurse by the way.)

I’m wondering whether you’ve discussed your symptoms with the neurologist who diagnosed TM. That would certainly be the best place to start.

Aside from that, it’s worth remembering that all the mental symptoms you’re describing can be produced by many different causes, the most common cause in someone your age being anxiety. It’s understandable that you’d be anxious if you’ve been diagnosed with a neurological condition at such a young age. I was particularly struck by these words in your post: “…when i get things right it feels like (a) it wasnt me (b) it was luck (c) no thought process went into doing things…” That kind of depersonalisation is very common in states of heightened anxiety.

As well as talking about this to your doctors, I really think it would be a good idea for you to give CBT another try, perhaps with a different therapist.

3

thanks lily , i have had TM since i was 10 month old so i dont think its tm related im on beater blockers for anxiety , just i feel that if i had someone look at my brain, like a ct or mri scan then id feel alot better , my dr refered me to a nurologist but he just shruggs his shoulders and blames it on anxiety too