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Can one get dementia in their 30s?

M

Misty Avich

Hellooooooooooo!!!
V.I.P Member
I was listening to an audiobook about a woman in her late 30s getting Alzheimer's and had to go into a care home. She had been drug-dependant so maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. This is actually a true story.

I'm only 33 but lately I keep forgetting simple things and I'm worried I might have early onset Alzheimer's coming. I'm hoping it's just ADHD coupled with stress (I am stressed at the moment with money, and my neighbours). But I keep writing notes to remind myself to do things but then forget to look at the note, which is angering my supervisor, but I really can't help it.
Also I forgot my uncle's birthday and I'm usually quite good at remembering birthdays.

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's but they were both in their 70s when they got it. Getting Alzheimer's doesn't scare me as much as getting cancer, but it scares me to get Alzheimer's at this age because it will mean I'll miss out on the rest of my life and die young. It wouldn't be fair.

Is getting Alzheimer's in your 30s rare?
 
Me and my wife both have ADHD and feel like this a lot. Dementia usually presents itself in a wide range of behaviors aside from that 'quick information dump' (as I call it) or getting distracted from staying on task. I watched a documentary recently about early-onset dementia in teens and they literally couldn't even hold plates in their hand.

I mean, I'd worry if you can't figure out how to turn on a computer, but forgetting a birthday happens to the best of us (just one example, but you get what I'm saying). My non-neurodivergent sister just forgot mine, so that happens.
 
Bolletje said:
It is rare, yes. Stress + ADHD + autism can make one incredibly forgetful, it’s the more likely cause.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is the case with my memory right now. Between extreme stress and forgetting my ADHD medication, I have been forgetting everything from birthdays, last names, and leaving the house without important items. The other day I got in the shower with my glasses on.
 
Your stress can be debilitating to the point you become forgetful. Can you get some exercise into your life? This really helps with mental clarity.
 
It is indeed possible to get dementia or Alzheimer's at a young age, but it is unlikely to happen as a statistical average.
 
Luca said:
Yes, this is the case with my memory right now. Between extreme stress and forgetting my ADHD medication, I have been forgetting everything from birthdays, last names, and leaving the house without important items. The other day I got in the shower with my glasses on.
Click to expand...
I showed up at my psych appointment with my remote control in my coat pocket, rather than my phone. He didn’t have to guess at my current stress level :’)
 
Bolletje said:
I showed up at my psych appointment with my remote control in my coat pocket, rather than my phone. He didn’t have to guess at my current stress level :’)
Click to expand...
My mum (NT) once went to the town with a kitchen wash cloth over her shoulder, and only noticed when she was halfway through shopping in the grocery store. :D
 
Misty Avich said:
I was listening to an audiobook about a woman in her late 30s getting Alzheimer's and had to go into a care home. She had been drug-dependant so maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. This is actually a true story.

I'm only 33 but lately I keep forgetting simple things and I'm worried I might have early onset Alzheimer's coming. I'm hoping it's just ADHD coupled with stress (I am stressed at the moment with money, and my neighbours). But I keep writing notes to remind myself to do things but then forget to look at the note, which is angering my supervisor, but I really can't help it.
Also I forgot my uncle's birthday and I'm usually quite good at remembering birthdays.

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's but they were both in their 70s when they got it. Getting Alzheimer's doesn't scare me as much as getting cancer, but it scares me to get Alzheimer's at this age because it will mean I'll miss out on the rest of my life and die young. It wouldn't be fair.

Is getting Alzheimer's in your 30s rare?
Click to expand...
What a coincidence, just yesterday I read up on early onset dementia and the youngest ever diagnosed was a Chinese man at 19. There a genetic dispositions at play, not all of them are known. The 19 years old didn't have any known genetic disposition.
 
Luca said:
Yes, this is the case with my memory right now. Between extreme stress and forgetting my ADHD medication, I have been forgetting everything from birthdays, last names, and leaving the house without important items. The other day I got in the shower with my glasses on.
Click to expand...
I tend to mix up the fridge with the microwave sometimes.
Or I put soap on my tooth brush, only happened once so far!
 
When I'm really anxious and when the depression is really giving me a kicking, I am incredibly forgetful too.

I've had people "helpfully" suggest using a planner! There's literally a meme about such dumb advice all over the internet lol! If I'm forgetting things, I'm not going to remember to consult a planner, if I even remembered to record the information on there in the first place.

I've done one slightly more impressive than @Luca wearing her glasses in the shower! I've gotten in fully dressed lol! Only for about 3 seconds, but long enough that the left side of my clothes were soaked. When it happened I remember thinking "hmmm something feels wrong?..." but as weird as it sounds it took me a moment to figure out what.

It's hard to explain, but it's just like my brain skips over an instruction, like a computer with faulty programming. Usually it's just mundane, like today I was making some cheese on toast to go with the soup my girlfriend made. I followed the way she likes to make it, 1)Butter bread 2) sprinkle cheese over bread 3) Put bread in oven. But I missed step 2! That's like the main thing with cheese on toast o_O

The thing is not that long ago I remembered to do everything and rarely forgot. I didn't need anything to remind me, I'd just remember. I'd be told the date and time of an appointment and it would just stick. No need to write it down. So I'd gotten so used to this that it will never come naturally to me to use reminders or planners.

Anyway, here's that meme...
th-2611728588.jpg
 
Misty Avich said:
I was listening to an audiobook about a woman in her late 30s getting Alzheimer's and had to go into a care home. She had been drug-dependant so maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. This is actually a true story.

I'm only 33 but lately I keep forgetting simple things and I'm worried I might have early onset Alzheimer's coming. I'm hoping it's just ADHD coupled with stress (I am stressed at the moment with money, and my neighbours). But I keep writing notes to remind myself to do things but then forget to look at the note, which is angering my supervisor, but I really can't help it.
Also I forgot my uncle's birthday and I'm usually quite good at remembering birthdays.

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's but they were both in their 70s when they got it. Getting Alzheimer's doesn't scare me as much as getting cancer, but it scares me to get Alzheimer's at this age because it will mean I'll miss out on the rest of my life and die young. It wouldn't be fair.

Is getting Alzheimer's in your 30s rare?
Click to expand...
Yes you can get early onset dementia. I seriously doubt that's what you have don't stress. Make sure you're getting plenty of rest keep your mind stimulated reading books that helps decrease the risk of dementia. We all forget things time to time I know I do and I always question boy do I have dementia lol. Lots of things can cause memory issues fatigue, dehydration, UTI, hormonal changes the list can go on. No need to worry at this point could be many things that cause you to have memory lapses.
Misty Avich said:
I was listening to an audiobook about a woman in her late 30s getting Alzheimer's and had to go into a care home. She had been drug-dependant so maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. This is actually a true story.

I'm only 33 but lately I keep forgetting simple things and I'm worried I might have early onset Alzheimer's coming. I'm hoping it's just ADHD coupled with stress (I am stressed at the moment with money, and my neighbours). But I keep writing notes to remind myself to do things but then forget to look at the note, which is angering my supervisor, but I really can't help it.
Also I forgot my uncle's birthday and I'm usually quite good at remembering birthdays.

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's but they were both in their 70s when they got it. Getting Alzheimer's doesn't scare me as much as getting cancer, but it scares me to get Alzheimer's at this age because it will mean I'll miss out on the rest of my life and die young. It wouldn't be fair.

Is getting Alzheimer's in your 30s rare?
Click to expand...
 
Misty Avich said:
I was listening to an audiobook about a woman in her late 30s getting Alzheimer's and had to go into a care home. She had been drug-dependant so maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. This is actually a true story.

I'm only 33 but lately I keep forgetting simple things and I'm worried I might have early onset Alzheimer's coming. I'm hoping it's just ADHD coupled with stress (I am stressed at the moment with money, and my neighbours). But I keep writing notes to remind myself to do things but then forget to look at the note, which is angering my supervisor, but I really can't help it.
Also I forgot my uncle's birthday and I'm usually quite good at remembering birthdays.

Two of my grandparents had Alzheimer's but they were both in their 70s when they got it. Getting Alzheimer's doesn't scare me as much as getting cancer, but it scares me to get Alzheimer's at this age because it will mean I'll miss out on the rest of my life and die young. It wouldn't be fair.

Is getting Alzheimer's in your 30s rare?
Click to expand...
You can get it for various reasons but sometimes you know it can be symptomatic of another disorder.
To get it on it's own out of the blue still happens
And....
It is hard at that age, it can be very serious and very debilitating. Not only for you to fade away and lose ur memory and all the other symptoms but ur loved ones. It needs a lot of support and compassion.

One of the best things u can do for ur mind is keep it active by reading but also puzzles eh quizzes, crosswords, word search, trivia, mind games
And u would also recommend not too much blue light and fresh air and plenty of sunshine.
Being stuck on devices all day indoors is the worse thing for the brain.
 
I think keeping your brain active is very important. Puzzles, brain games, Sudoko, etc. Learning languages is supposed to help guard against developing dementia.
 
It happens constantly to me. My executive dysfunction is extremely severe and has interfered with workplaces as well, but ADHD and anxiety can affect the way I pay attention to things, if there are strangers in a room I can't focus on difficult tasks like data attention.

About 80% of ppl on the spectrum struggle with executive dysfunction.

I experience a higher memory issue when I'm subjected to stress, busy, mind is occupied with something big I have to do for some days, but it is a general thing.
 
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