Me and my dad at a pineapple plantation on Maui, circa 2000
Dementia has been on my mind lately because there’s a chance that my dad may have it. He turns 80 on February 1, and he’s flying in from Hawaii — where my parents live — for a neurology appointment at University of Chicago Hospital because the hospitals in Hawaii — especially on mini Maui — aren’t that great.
My dad was diagnosed bipolar II three years ago and is taking meds for it. He has taken a spill on the kitchen floor. He is a writer and he is forgetting how to type. And we’re not sure if his erratic behavior is good ol’ eccentric Norm or early signs of dementia. I’m hoping for the best, that it’s just his bipolar. But we will soon find out.
Meanwhile, I thought I’d do some research on bipolar and dementia, and it turns out that people who have bipolar are at a higher risk for experiencing dementia later in life.
What is dementia?
Dementia patients have trouble with memory, thinking, and reasoning, according to WebMD. Dementia is the result of brain damage and is not a disease in itself, but rather a symptom of diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s.
The causes of dementia can be Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and problems with blood circulation in the brain. Traumatic brain injuries can also be an antecedent. Meningitis and HIV, as well as excessive drug and alcohol use, are other causes.
Sixty to eighty percent of people with dementia have Alzheimer’s.
Researchers in the U.S. analyzed six studies encompassing 3,026 people with bipolar, and 191,029 without bipolar. The study was titled “History of Bipolar Disorder and the Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” and was published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The study concluded that those who are bipolar are more likely to experience dementia.
No one wants to see their parents grow old, but it is a fact of life. My dad is generally healthy and has even lost 14 pounds since going on an even more healthful diet than before. I don’t know what I would do without my writer/bipolar comrade. He helps edit my stuff and is one of the people I admire most for his strength, resilience, and friendship. Say a prayer for Norm. Or, if you’re not religious like me, keep him in your thoughts.
Dad, may the spirit of aloha flow through you now as always.
