Featured Article: Alzheimer’s and Non-Fiction Literature

by | Nov 3, 2021 | Featured Article | 0 comments

Memoirs and other works of literature covering Alzheimer’s disease have helped raise awareness about the condition affecting millions worldwide.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia or impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions over everyday tasks or activities. It is a progressive disease that begins with mild memory loss and often leads to the inability to respond to a conversation and the environment. In the United States, around 5.8 million Americans are affected with Alzheimer’s as of 2020. Worldwide, the number of people with the said condition totals around 50 million.

Aside from medical records and research on Alzheimer’s disease, personal journals, memoirs, and other non-fiction literature have greatly helped raise awareness about the said condition. Through the publication of books that tackle and cover symptoms, progression, types, and other details about Alzheimer’s disease, we have gained an understanding of the struggles, lessons, and general ideas of how to deal with the condition. Other mediums, such as films, theater, and fiction literature, have also tackled Alzheimer’s, helping spread awareness about the disease.

Non-Fiction LIterature that discusses Alzheimer’s helps us understand and even empathize with the struggles of the victims and their loved ones.

The book Going…Going…: The Abduction of the Mind by Jack D. Weaver is just one of the many memoirs which talk about the journey with Alzheimer’s disease. In this riveting yet heartwarming work, Weaver shares how he and his wife Janey battle Alzheimer’s for fifteen years. The detailed account of their struggles, desperation, hope, and small victories will take readers up close and personal with Alzheimer’s disease. The book also provides guides and lessons on how to handle each stage of this progressive mental condition. More importantly, it offers hope and inspiration to all those suffering from the disease and the people caring for them. Alzheimer’s disease steals away a person’s memory and cognitive abilities, which takes a toll on the loved ones who cannot stand their beloved slowly slipping away from them.

Through works like Jack D. Weaver’s and other memoirs and journals, we are inspired to face Alzheimer’s with determination to slow down the patient’s deterioration, face each day with new hope, and make the most of the remaining time. It equips us with knowledge and values like patience, kindness, love, and care for our loved ones who are suffering from the said condition.

Despite the advancements in science and medical technology, there remains no cure for Alzheimer’s, and all we can do is continue learning from studies and experiences.

For decades now, doctors and medical experts in the field of neuroscience are still searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s. In June 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Aducanumab to treat some cases of Alzheimer’s disease but under the condition that further studies be conducted to confirm the drug’s efficacy and how they benefit Alzheimer’s patients. Other than that, there is still no significant advancement in the treatment and cure of Alzheimer’s. There have been programs designed to slow down the progression. Still, these do not guarantee the expected results.

This is where medical research, journals, and other non-fiction literature play an essential role in our continuous quest to fully understand, prevent, and perhaps cure Alzheimer’s disease. Further dialogues, discussions, and sharing of ideas regarding our personal experiences with the disease or caring for loved ones affected will also help us gain further insight on behavior patterns, handling, and how to assist them in their fight against the said ailment.

Jack D. Weaver is the author of the book Going…Going…The Abduction of the Mind, a non-fiction literature and a memoir about Alzheimer’s disease. You can purchase a copy of his book via Amazon and Barnes&Noble (Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle) or visit his website today.

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