Actually, the answer is yes—but not necessarily in the way you might think. Many times, a positive change in personality comes out due to a personality disorder which was present before the onset of Alzheimer’s, such as alcoholism, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Some families of individuals affected by these disorders consider their loved ones to have been “blessed” with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Prior to the disease, their loved one was harsh or abusive. Now, the dementia has made him or her docile, loving, and happy.

These families often joke about having a support group for people who are happy about dementia. One was a man who had been married to his wife for almost 50 years. She had been an alcoholic for most of that time, even while raising their six children. As her disease progressed, she forgot to drink and became more and more loving and docile. It was as if the dementia brought out the best in her that many of those around her had seldom seen in previous years. Her children would visit, and she would act lovingly toward them. She had a good sense of humor and laughed a lot. Her husband stated many times that these were some of the best years of their married lives; he was almost grateful for her dementia. He felt as though this disease had given them both a second chance at a happy life together. She remained in their home with him as her primary caregiver until her death.

It just goes to show that sometimes, blessings come forth from tragedy.

Tags: alzheimers, caregiving, dementia