Lynchburg expert addresses the fear of memory loss

Gerontologist Dr. Jay White studies age—or more specifically—the effects of age. After working in real estate, he made a career switch after realizing that many residents couldn’t stay in their homes after a certain point.

“I wanted to know why people couldn’t continue living on their own,” he says.

After earning his master’s degree in gerontology (he also has a Doctor of Education degree), White now dedicates his life to helping everyone enjoy their longevity and elderhood, which includes understanding the normal signs of cognitive decline. He says the fear of memory loss has become very prevalent in healthcare—and that fear can actually produce or exacerbate symptoms.

“Our brains work like a computer,” he says. “When a computer becomes overloaded with information, it processes things slower. As we age, the same thing happens. It can be difficult to recall certain names or memories.”

White says that doesn’t necessarily mean an individual has dementia. In fact, there are several ways to tell the difference between natural aging and a deeper neurological issue.

“What I see in private practice is that people concerned about memory loss don’t usually have dementia,” White explains. “Then you have to look at other underlying issues.”

According to White, talking about memory loss is the opposite of what dementia patients do. Many who start showing signs either hide their symptoms or don’t realize what’s happening.

Determining the root of memory issues is complex. Research shows there are more than 100 types of dementia, one of which is Alzheimer’s. Many of those types are highly manageable and even reversible.

“You can’t tell [if someone has dementia] just by having a conversation,” White says. “It usually involves a brain scan to get an actual diagnosis that shows brain patterns. But even then, there are types that don’t show up on a brain scan.”

While White says it’s common to get phone calls from concerned family members about loved ones who may be showing signs of dementia, his advice is to slow down and not jump to conclusions with a self-diagnosis.

“There are certain things that are a normal part of aging,” he says. “When you don’t see someone for a long period time, it can be hard to gauge what’s normal and what’s not.”

He says if there’s a concern that a relative may be “slipping,” then family members need to look at the whole picture. According to statistics, less than 12% of older adults have dementia, which White says is a small population.

“Start a conversation and ask questions like ‘How are you doing or feeling?’” he says. “Maybe your loved one is lonely and is showing signs of depression. Maybe it’s new medications and you need to talk to their pharmacist about side effects.”

5 Simple Steps You Can Take To Chill Out

Feeling a little anxious these days? Us too. It seems like no matter how hard you try, it’s very easy to find yourself consumed by the coronavirus and the “what happens next?” scenarios.

Pamela Smith, LPC, CEAP, is a licensed professional counselor with years of experience in individual and family counseling. If you start to feel anxiety creep in—about COVID-19, career changes, or even cabin fever with children—here are 5 actions she suggests that can help you regain some control.

Try square breathing. Imagine a box: breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for four counts, and hold for four counts. “This gets you to do some deep breathing but your head is in the game. You are less likely to let your mind start thinking of those stressful things. Because you have to count,” Smith explains. Her advice is to take is slow and don’t worry about quantity. Even just three or four breaths can help you reset.

Start a gratitude journal. At night before you go to bed, Smith recommends writing down three things that happened during the day that you are grateful for—no matter how small. “When you write, the information goes to a different part of your brain, you process it better than just thinking about it,” she explains. Then after you turn off the light and try to sleep, replay those three things in your mind. If you aren’t a writer, try bullet points or even draw a picture, she says.

Limit time watching the news and surfing social media. There is a big difference between staying informed and staying immersed in the daily news grind. “Don’t leave the news on 24/7 a day and when you get on social media, set a time limit,” Smith says. It’s easy to start clicking on every single opinion article but your mental health can’t handle an overload of negativity.

Practice mindfulness. For those unfamiliar with the term, mindfulness is about “staying in the here and the now,” Smith says. “Right now, we are so worried about the future and what’s going to happen. But we forget what we are doing right now.” Being mindful means you focus on the moment you are in. For example, when anxiety starts to build, focus on three things you see, three things you hear and three things you smell. “This allows us to re-center ourselves,” Smith says. “This is who I am right now. Let me move forward right now.”

Get moving, preferably outside. “I know for me, I was going to the Y and exercising four or five days a week so I’m struggling a bit,” she says. “Moving our body is so critical for not only our physical health but our mental health.” Whether it’s going for a walk or doing some gardening work, you will feel better after getting some fresh air and working up a sweat.