Treatment of mental health problems has recently undergone a revolution. More and more, people are discovering that the way we live our lives on a daily basis affects not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Certainly, treatment of bipolar disorder and other psychological issues has benefited immensely from this approach. Getting into constructive, healthy patterns, eating right, exercising, and keeping up good social connections all contribute to a sound mind. What surprises many people Is how far this approach to mental health treatment goes. Diseases that were previously thought to be purely organic now seem to have a significant psychological factor. Nowhere is this more evident than with the treatment of dementia.
Everyone knows a little bit about dementia. It is one of the most tragic yet common fates that people face as they grow older. What many people don’t know is how easy preventative treatment of dementia is. Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease dementia is still a long shot, because it is an organic disease whose causes are not well known. For most cases of dementia, however, there are effective treatments that work and require little more than intellectual activity.
As a matter of fact, one of the most effective treatments of dementia is to do puzzles or learn a new skill. The research is showing us more and more that old folks who keep their minds active don’t tend to develop dementia nearly as often as elderly people who sit around watching TV. Apparently, the treatment of dementia is just as simple as keeping the mind active. The reason people become demented is not because their brains naturally deteriorate with age, but because they atrophy through lack of use. The human mind is like any organ in the body. If it isn’t used, it tends to deteriorate. If you want a good effective preventative treatment of dementia, learn a new language skill. Chances are, it will keep you sharp for years and years to come.
Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease treatment is a little trickier. Still, much of the research shows that intellectual activity will at least decrease the effects of Alzheimer’s. There has been so much research on this terrible disease recently that I predict, within a decade, we will have a good handle on it. If we can’t cure it out right, we will be able to at least slow its progression to a halt. There is plenty of cause for optimism in geriatric medicine.