We live in a digital world. It is almost impossible to escape this reality. I am sure you can relate to my frustration when these inventions of wonder fail to work as designed. Few of us have the expertise and knowledge to fix technical problems when they present themselves. It does not matter if our device is top of the line, the latest version or the best of the best. If it stops working for us and the hard drive breaks until it gets fixed, we can yell at it, kick it, throw it across the room but none of these actions will create a solution.
Why, then, on earth, if someone you know or love, has dementia would you treat them as though they should act differently than they do? The human brain is the “hard drive” of the physical body. The brain controls everything the body does, from blinking eyes to swallowing, to breathing. If any part of the brain sustains damage for any reason, the performance of the rest of the body will be compromised. While I totally understand the frustrations associated with the disease of dementia, as a family member, caregiver or friend, it is important to keep a clear perspective. In an article, I recently read, the person writing it said, “when the person around you is losing their mind, it is important to use yours!” Great advice!
We are living in a new world, where more and more people are suffering from dementia of some type. The sufferer will not be able to control or change their behavior. The “hard drive” is broken. To yell at them or mistreat them in any manner will serve no purpose at all. It will not even, ultimately, make us feel better. Instead, we will feel guilty, piling, even more, frustration upon an already difficult situation. It is critical if you find yourself in this set of circumstances that you seek professional council.
As dementia continues to escalate, the need for knowledge is so important. The number of victims is growing faster than our research can keep up. I believe with all of my heart that we are making fantastic strides in this arena, but the brain it appears is the final frontier of science. It is so complex and amazing!
Beautiful by design, God created each one of us. We are body and soul, together. Our physical world is wearing out just like our physical bodies. Everything in creation has an expiration date. You and I do not like to think about this fact, but it is true. The mortality rate is one hundred percent to date, with one exception, Jesus. What will continue beyond this life will not be affected by the limitations that exist in this realm. Not even our “hard drive,” the brain, can dictate what only God has the power to control.
When your computer stops working correctly, you can reset to the default mode, which is returning it to the designers original setting. When our bodies wear out and they will, isn’t it comforting to know that our Designer has complete control over bringing us to heaven where nothing is faulty or broken ever again?
I hope and pray that a cure will be found for all neurological diseases. Until that time, however, we must learn how to communicate with the population of people who are victims. Patience, love and compassion are available to us now. These are powerful tools. Let’s put them to use!