Father-of-one diagnosed with dementia at just 41 reveals heartbreaking detail of early stages of the disease
Dementia is often described as a memory-robbing condition, but for a father-of-one who was diagnosed at just 41-years-old, the disease is 'so much more' than just forgetfulness.
Fraser, a teacher and researcher from Australia, said the subtle symptoms he experienced began in his late thirties—three decades earlier than the average onset.
While the disease is most commonly associated with older people, young-onset dementia —where patients are given the devastating diagnosis before the age of 65—is known to be on the rise.
Now, in a heartbreaking YouTube video, the father-of-one has shared his unique experience of the early stages of the disease, and the warning signs every young person should be aware of.
He said the features of the disease he never expected include difficulty speaking in the evenings and not wanting to leave the house or socialise.
'My brain has just had enough', said Fraser.
It is not uncommon for patients to suffer personality changes as the disease progresses, which can make them appear rude or insensitive, according to experts.
In Fraser's case, the young father became more 'selfish' and 'stopped following through on his word'.
Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer. It marks a 40 per cent uptick on the previous forecast in 2017
But one of the biggest things he has learnt through his journey is that mental health really matters.
'You will get anxious and depressed and need help getting through it. But, reducing stress will have a bigger impact than you think', he said.
At a time when most people are trying to juggle work, family and social commitments, it's not unusual to feel stressed.
But, research has found, it could raise the risk of developing the brain disease by as much as 24 per cent.
Experts do not yet understand the mechanisms behind this association, but one theory is that stress is likely to increase the risk of depression, which could be a red-flag sign for upcoming cognitive decline.
Fraser said in the video that one of the earliest tell-tale signs of his condition was language problems.
But it wasn't until Fraser started noticing that his thoughts felt more 'surface level' than usual that the alarm bells began to ring.
Then, he began struggling with everyday tasks that he would usually do without thinking, as if on autopilot—such as turning off the shower and planning his day.
'A fog just comes over your brain and you just can't really focus on things very well, and you're in a haze,' he said.
Following his life-changing diagnosis, Fraser now wants to raise better awareness for the disease, as he battles with these increasingly exhausting symptoms.
Molly Murray, an expert in young-onset dementia from the University of West Scotland said: 'The misunderstanding that dementia is a disease of older adults leaves people with young-onset dementia fighting to be heard.
'Rarer dementias are also linked to atypical symptoms, which often go missed. This prolongs the diagnostic journey,' she added.
Fraser said that one of the biggest challenges he faces is the highs and lows of the disease.
He said: 'Some months you will have less foggy days and you will learn new things easier than you thought.
'You will be certain you have it and certain you do not have it'.
This can lead patients diagnosed with the heartbreaking disease to 'downplay' and 'exaggerate' their symptoms, prolonging the diagnostic journey.
Ms Murray added that part of the challenge in diagnosing early-onset dementia is that many of the potential symptoms of the disease can also be attributed to other problems, such as a period of burnout or stress.
But getting a timely diagnosis is considered critical at any age, as while the condition is incurable, treatments can combat symptoms and sometimes slow progression.
The latest figures show almost 71,000 people in Britain are currently battling young-onset dementia (when the condition strikes under the age of 65), accounting for around 7.5 per cent of all dementia cases.
This is a rise of 69 per cent from figures recorded in 2014.
Scientists are not yet sure what is driving the surge but believe it may be due to the same factors causing an uptick in condition in all ages.
These include increasing rates of obesity, poor diets and greater awareness of the condition.
Analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimates that the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt.
An ageing population means these costs – which include lost earnings of unpaid carers – are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years.
Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while the figure is thought to be around seven million in the US.
Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.
Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
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Magic mushrooms enter mainstream as treatment for depression
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'It gave me a few hours of calm and clarity,' the 49-year-old told The Times, smiling broadly at a lakeside café in the Czech capital, Prague. 'It gave me hope. Maybe I didn't have to die.' For people like Bednarova, the Czechs could be on the brink of a breakthrough. Twelve years after the country legalised cannabis for medical purposes, it is on the verge of becoming the first in Europe to do the same for psilocybin, after the lower house of its parliament approved a proposed bill to allow the drug's use in clinical settings. Legal problems relating to its recreational use have slowed research across the globe, in particular in Europe. But with increasing numbers of patients and shortages of antidepressant drugs, the Czechs are pushing ahead. Advocates say that in the long term psilocybin would reduce the burden on health services and lower the cost of treating depression during what has been described as Britain's 'mental health epidemic'. 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About one in three people diagnosed with depression experience 'treatment-resistant depression', which does not respond to drugs or therapy. It is this cohort of patients — about three million people — who experts believe could benefit most from psilocybin. The Czech Republic's legislation will regulate the drug in a similar way to medicinal cannabis, with a limited number of doctors able to prescribe it. During trials patients will be housed in specialised environments and receive extensive psychotherapy. Doctors admit this makes the treatment programme expensive, but many insist the results are worth it. Jana Pazderova, who recently began psilocybin therapy, said its effect had been transformative. 'It transported me somewhere outside, to a mountain viewpoint,' she said. 'I started crying because I realised how beautiful the world is.' The therapy has also been tested on people with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease. 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The Guardian
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'In a mainstream public system Aboriginal women are seen as a risk. They're seen as a clinical risk, but [the mainstream system] can be a risk to Aboriginal women because they're labelled and judged. Aboriginal women thrive when they're cared for in a culturally safe way.' As we speak, David stops to take a call from a mother worrying about her new baby: high fever, feeding poorly, vomiting. She conducts a rapid assessment, asking the worried mother for details and gently advising her to take her child to the local hospital. A few decades ago, in her mother's generation, says Briggs, Aboriginal women weren't allowed to access maternity services in local hospitals. Women would give birth in segregated wards or on hospital verandas. She says women sometimes walked as far as 15km to a hospital to give birth. 'Many babies during this time were born sleeping.' The Minga Gudjaga Gunyah clinic is in a house on a tidy street just a few minutes' walk to the hospital. 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Her twins were a high-risk pregnancy so she spent a lot of time resting in bed at Westmead to prevent a preterm labour. Her family and friends were two and a half hours' drive away. 'It was really tough, very isolating and I felt really unsupported,' she says. She says caring for her newborn twins after her caesarean was a challenge with little support beyond a hospital lactation consultant. Born at 37 weeks, the baby boys were small. 'I'd just had the surgery and you're lying in the bed and it's hard to look after one baby – let alone two,' she says. 'They were just kind of like, 'Well, you just have to do it.'' During her last pregnancy, with her seven-month-old daughter Ivana, Ray experienced perinatal depression and anxiety and was supported by a Waminda midwife through her antenatal appointments and underwent a caesarean at the local hospital. 'I felt held the whole way through,' she says. 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Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Father-of-one diagnosed with dementia at just 41 reveals heartbreaking detail of early stages of the disease
Dementia is often described as a memory-robbing condition, but for a father-of-one who was diagnosed at just 41-years-old, the disease is 'so much more' than just forgetfulness. Fraser, a teacher and researcher from Australia, said the subtle symptoms he experienced began in his late thirties—three decades earlier than the average onset. While the disease is most commonly associated with older people, young-onset dementia —where patients are given the devastating diagnosis before the age of 65—is known to be on the rise. Now, in a heartbreaking YouTube video, the father-of-one has shared his unique experience of the early stages of the disease, and the warning signs every young person should be aware of. He said the features of the disease he never expected include difficulty speaking in the evenings and not wanting to leave the house or socialise. 'My brain has just had enough', said Fraser. It is not uncommon for patients to suffer personality changes as the disease progresses, which can make them appear rude or insensitive, according to experts. In Fraser's case, the young father became more 'selfish' and 'stopped following through on his word'. Around 900,000 Britons are currently thought to have the memory-robbing disorder. But University College London scientists estimate this will rise to 1.7 million within two decades as people live longer. It marks a 40 per cent uptick on the previous forecast in 2017 But one of the biggest things he has learnt through his journey is that mental health really matters. 'You will get anxious and depressed and need help getting through it. But, reducing stress will have a bigger impact than you think', he said. At a time when most people are trying to juggle work, family and social commitments, it's not unusual to feel stressed. But, research has found, it could raise the risk of developing the brain disease by as much as 24 per cent. Experts do not yet understand the mechanisms behind this association, but one theory is that stress is likely to increase the risk of depression, which could be a red-flag sign for upcoming cognitive decline. Fraser said in the video that one of the earliest tell-tale signs of his condition was language problems. But it wasn't until Fraser started noticing that his thoughts felt more 'surface level' than usual that the alarm bells began to ring. Then, he began struggling with everyday tasks that he would usually do without thinking, as if on autopilot—such as turning off the shower and planning his day. 'A fog just comes over your brain and you just can't really focus on things very well, and you're in a haze,' he said. Following his life-changing diagnosis, Fraser now wants to raise better awareness for the disease, as he battles with these increasingly exhausting symptoms. Molly Murray, an expert in young-onset dementia from the University of West Scotland said: 'The misunderstanding that dementia is a disease of older adults leaves people with young-onset dementia fighting to be heard. 'Rarer dementias are also linked to atypical symptoms, which often go missed. This prolongs the diagnostic journey,' she added. Fraser said that one of the biggest challenges he faces is the highs and lows of the disease. He said: 'Some months you will have less foggy days and you will learn new things easier than you thought. 'You will be certain you have it and certain you do not have it'. This can lead patients diagnosed with the heartbreaking disease to 'downplay' and 'exaggerate' their symptoms, prolonging the diagnostic journey. Ms Murray added that part of the challenge in diagnosing early-onset dementia is that many of the potential symptoms of the disease can also be attributed to other problems, such as a period of burnout or stress. But getting a timely diagnosis is considered critical at any age, as while the condition is incurable, treatments can combat symptoms and sometimes slow progression. The latest figures show almost 71,000 people in Britain are currently battling young-onset dementia (when the condition strikes under the age of 65), accounting for around 7.5 per cent of all dementia cases. This is a rise of 69 per cent from figures recorded in 2014. Scientists are not yet sure what is driving the surge but believe it may be due to the same factors causing an uptick in condition in all ages. These include increasing rates of obesity, poor diets and greater awareness of the condition. Analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimates that the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt. An ageing population means these costs – which include lost earnings of unpaid carers – are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years. Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while the figure is thought to be around seven million in the US. Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time. Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
