"that's okay, melinda. i didn't starve in concentration camp and i won't starve here. my name is [name removed for privacy purposes] and i always tell the truth."
- said by 90 something year old woman who has dementia and is convinced people aren't feeding her (when in reality she forgets that she's had food).
it got me thinking about how our memories are stored in our brain. why is it that people with dementia or alzheimers can remember very detailed things about the distant past but they can't remember that they ate 5 minutes ago? sadly, the concentration camp thing is true, but the current belief that she's starving in the care facility is not. you'd think that she would be sad about this, but she said in her cute accent that she feels very peaceful here (and that she's not worried about starving). we looked at pictures of her adopted granddaughter to take her mind off of the non-existent food.
/random post
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2 comments:
Well, unfortunately we are often most affected (physiologically in our brains) by the awful & traumatic things that happen to us. Happy, wonderful moments we sometimes remember when we put forth the effort. But as animal-beings we automatically create imprints of trauma. So it's not surprising that even someone with dementia, would be able to remember starving in a concentration camp. It's sad, and somewhat cruel that this is how our brains work.
It's good to know that she at least feels peaceful and at rest while she is at the end of her life. I think that's the most any of us can ask for.
Yay for volunteering...and sorry if my comment is too-negative...
yeah, i agree that trauma leaves a lasting imprint on one's brain. it's strange how the mind works. i didn't even know that she had dementia until the food thing came up.
i've also noticed that even seemingly trivial/random memories from the past are often remembered by people with dementia or alzheimers. my grandmother had alzeheimers and could remember very detailed childhood memories, but had difficulty with short-term memory. it must be stored in a different place in t he brain or something. eventually should could not remember anything at all, though.
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