Mindfulness Against Alzheimer’s
Guest blog post by Luke Douglas from ripped.me
One of the worst things about Alzheimer’s lies in the fact that a person can spend decades suffering from it. It’s one of those diseases that irreversibly diminish one’s lifestyle quality, without cure, solution or even prospects of things ever getting better. According to recent statistics, Alzheimer’s dementia affects about 10 percent of people older than 65, although to a different degree.
As of recently, there are some indications that, while treatment is not that effective, there might be some ways to work on the prevention of this disease decades before it’s to appear. Some people even suggest things like mindfulness and meditation. Most importantly, Alzheimer’s dementia affects even people who aren’t affected by it (partners, family members, friends), which is a situation in which stress relief that comes from mindfulness may be of immense help.
Depression increases the risk
One of the less known factors of depression is the increased risk of Alzheimer’s. The greatest problem with this particular find lies in the fact that medical experts are still debating whether the depression is a risk factor or merely an early symptom of this disease. Based on recent finds and analysis conducted, it is far more likely that it is indeed a risk factor. By comparing self-reported ratings and diagnoses of both depression and dementia over the course of three years, a clear link was established and described. Epidemiologist Jane Saczynski who tracked this correlation emerged upon the same find.
The way in which mindfulness helps lies in the fact that most Yoga poses insist on a balance of body, mind and improved breathing techniques. Seeing as how the latter is commonly used to combat anxiousness, they also stand a chance at helping you sort out your other emotional and mental problems. Yes, this includes depression, same as stress or anxiety.
A part of the solution
Before we proceed, we need to make one thing abundantly clear – Alzheimer’s is a complex disease and, therefore, has no simple solution or cure. So, you need to give your best to explore alternative methods of self-healing and fortifying your mental function, as well as look at what is the NDIS and what does it have to offer. Only when combined, do these two approaches stand a chance against Alzheimer’s.
A different approach to life
One of the problems with mental health is that people think about it only when it’s endangered. By then, it might be simply too late to fix the situation. On the other hand, by embarking on a journey of Yoga and meditation, you might find yourself motivated to go several steps further and improve other aspects of your life, as well.
For instance, you might start enjoying regular walks, drop some of your bad habits like smoking, substance abuse and excessive eating (all three of which are suspected as contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s). Moreover, all of these, when combined, make your body and your mind stronger, which, directly makes you more resistant to Alzheimer’s.
Keeping your anxiety in check
One more thing that leads to quicker development of Alzheimer’s is the anxiety disorder, which is something that about 18.1 percent of the entire population suffers from. While some may suggest gardening as a solution, it isn’t that far-fetched to say that the meditation is even safer. Here, instead of emptying your mind with physical labor (which is not something you’ll be able to do in every situation), you’re learning how to come to terms with some of your most unsettling thoughts. Moreover, you’re learning how to filter them out, which can be as effective for controlling a panic attack as the above-discussed breathing techniques.
Indirect help in the care
At the end of the day, as we already said, meditation helps you fight stress, which means that people caring for a loved one suffering from dementia, might resort to it in order to keep their stress levels as low as possible. Keep in mind that Alzheimer’s is a horrible affliction that doesn’t leave toll only on a person who suffers from it but their friends and family members, as well.
This is particularly important because it has been noticed that the probability of depression in the family, when it comes to Alzheimer’s, reaches almost 50 percent. The hazards of this are something we’ve already discussed, especially with people who already have a genetic predisposition to developing Alzheimer’s. This is tuition is made even worse if they aren’t leading the healthiest of lifestyles, to begin with.
Conclusion
As you can see, mindfulness offers both direct and indirect help but, most importantly, it also offers help to all those that need it. Seeing as how the person suffering from this disease is getting the worst out of it, people often forget other injured parties – those around them. Fortunately, increased and practiced mindfulness might offer some comfort to everyone.