Alester Brown

How to Help Someone Who Has Amnesia

Amnesia is a fairly rare type of memory loss that occurs for various reasons. Someone who experiences amnesia may only experience memory loss for a short period, but others with amnesia may permanently lose certain memories. To aid in overcoming the challenges of amnesia, treatment options are available.

Therapy as a Solution

Therapy for amnesia involves working individually with a therapist to explore ways to unlock memories. Therapy for amnesia may require the involvement of friends, family members, and others who have been close to the individual suffering from amnesia.

Therapy is also used to help those with amnesia cope with the difficulties involved with the condition. Experiencing amnesia can be emotionally draining, and it can cause fear, anger, and loneliness. Therapy seeks to overcome these challenges through regular counselling and cognitive-behavioural approaches.

Be Patient

When helping someone with amnesia, patience is critical. Amnesia is not easy to deal with, and it can cause uncomfortable experiences for both the sufferer and their loved ones. You may notice that your loved one becomes irritable more often due to frustration from the inability to remember things. You may also notice that your loved one with amnesia has a hard time recalling how to do certain things.

As a caregiver, you will need to be able to demonstrate patience, as getting frustrated may worsen the situation. If you need to, find ways to take breaks yourself so that you can provide understanding and patience to a loved one in need.

Use Cues Instead of Questions

Dealing with memory loss means you don't always have a clear answer to questions. Instead of asking questions, consider giving verbal cues to a loved one with amnesia. This will help them work a problem out on their own rather than feeling like they are under pressure to have an answer ready. You may consider creating cues in your head so that they are ready for common challenges that you and your loved one face throughout the day. This can help you both be better prepared.

Author Resource:-

Alester Brown writes about mental and physical health. She advises people on Paediatrician & online Psychiatrist consultation. You can find her thoughts at therapist for anxiety blog.