Mother calls the psychiatrist "CRAZY"! - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

jannar · 11-11-2008, 07:00 PM

I took my 91 year old mother to see the psychiatrist today for a 3 month follow-up appointment. She was given Aricept in August and the psychiatrist wanted to see how everything was going. He had a conversation with her and he asked her if she understoon why she was there. He gave her a brief test to see how her cognitive abilities were since August. She actually failed every question. When it was over, my mother told the doctor that everything with her was fine and she didn't need medication. He said that the medication was important for her and she said "You are CRAZY"! She said she didn't need him nor his medicine. The psychiatrist told me I had my hands full with having such a demanding and determined mother. He asked me if I was receiving any assistance with understanding Alzheimers. I told him I was going to this message board and he said great. It isn't easy dealing with my mother but having all of you to assist me definitely helps.

Gabriel · 11-11-2008, 07:34 PM

We either have the same mother or they went to see the same psychiatrist!! My Mom has told both psychiatrist that she has seen that they were crazy or told us they were crazy. There is NOTHING wrong with her. It's the rest of the world that has gone crazy. So I do understand and you do have your hands full.

Mom went into the MARS assessment determined to, once and for all, prove that we were all wrong and there was nothing wrong with her. At that point she was aware that she had not answered the questions correctly but covered it by giving excuses. "He showed me a picture but why would I remember those people I don't know?" By the time we were back home she was determined that they didn't know what they were talking about and she was fine.

Later we took her to another psychologist. This lady was very uninformed about ALZ and it was a disaster. Mom complained that we would not leave her alone. There was nothing wrong with her but us interfering with her life. She came out of the meeting telling us that the psych had told her to tell us to go away. We went in for a family meeting after that and she handed US computer print out from the ALZ association about what ALZ is. Well duh lady, we have lived with it for 2 years now..... perhaps you should read it and not lead her to believe that we needed to go away. I was the one that said that psych was crazy!!!

The last one was to adjust her psych meds. She called him crazy as well but he's done amazing things adjusting her antidepressants and antianxiety meds. We are in our third year since we realized something was amiss and Mom still swears.... there is NOTHING wrong with her. All these medical people, and us, are just crazy.

So grab a new stack of towels, smile at your mom, and nod your head like a bobble doll...... then give her her meds each morning without conversation. The Crazyman will be a lost memory to her

Love, deb

Martha H · 11-12-2008, 04:24 AM

I guess it is just 'normal' for someone whose world is going crazy to blame everyone else. My Mom also thought shw was fine. There was a very short period of time when she often asked me, ''what is wrong with me?" and also told me she prayed every night to either die or get her memory back. But that period lasted only a couple of months, and after that it was the outside world that was 'losing it.' Once she told my sister on the phone that I was losing my memory, she had to tell me everything over and over again because I forgot things!

She also did poorly on the doctor's tests and also had reasons for it. "I was JOKING with him! Of course I knew when my birthday is and how many children I have - but he already has all that in his records, he is just trying to trip me up! So I gave him the wrong answers on purpose!"

(That was on a snowy February day, she had to climb over snow piles to get from the car to the office, and when asked what season of the year it is, she answered April! When asked what month is is, she answered October. When asked who the president is, she answered Bush, which was right, but as soon as we got home, my cousin called, and Mom said to her, "the doctor tried to trip me up again, but I knew the right answer - Reagan is our president!)

Now I can laugh. This was the doctor who diagnosed Dementia. Started her on Aricept and later Namenda. But nothing helped, Mom went downhill day by day.

It is a sad story, yet there are funny moments along the way and we have to laugh to keep our sanity.

Love,

Martha

petal*pusher · 11-12-2008, 06:24 AM

Hmmmm.....this could have been my Mom too!

Martha is right that we have to hang on to those funny moments...before you know it...even they will disappear.

We were very fortunate in doctors my Mom was involved with. My Mom already had a very "quirky" personality...so it took us a while to realize changes that were so apparent to others! (I remember her getting the 6 of us kids sitting at that big 'ol farm table to eat lunch...and her putting on an old pair of roller skates to buzz around the table. We laughed and laughed...the response she was looking for!)

She kept that wonderful gleam in her eye and quirky personality until a few years ago. How I miss it!.......Pam

Gabriel · 11-12-2008, 05:27 PM

You are right Martha, we do have to hang on to those priceless moments of humor (or those we create humor out of) to keep our sanity. I do charish the laughter when I can find it

Love, deb