mental-health – apagefrommunakusbook

THE SILENT THIEF

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I started this personal blog site almost ten years ago mainly to hone my writing skills while sharing my wealth of knowledge and skills to impact the readers in my small way. What I love most is that I give myself freedom to write on any topic which I consider important at that moment in time. Sometimes I follow what is going on around me and other times; some topics keep showing up in my brain until I write about them. I research the topic that I am writing about to make it balanced. I must admit that I do not write about the politics of the day though I know very well that politics breathes into all aspects of our lives.

I have been led into today’s post by what I have been observing in the elderly people in my community. I want to draw attention to it and raise awareness of it in our society.

While growing up, the elderly : 70 years and older, were very few in our villages and we treated them with great respect and dignity. Almost all of them were mentally agile and enjoyed relative good health. They walked with the support of a stick. That is how we drew them in our art lessons. My paternal aunt died aged 104 years in 2002. By then I was working in Botswana and came home every 2- 3 years . She surprised me on my last visit when she asked me, “Jane, when did you come back to Uganda?’’

One of my cousins died two years ago aged 104 but still insisting on choosing what she wanted to wear for the day and engaging visitors in flowing conversations and prayer.

However, I have been visiting an 86 years old male relative for the last five years, taking care of his 80-year-old wife suffering from dementia in a society where women nurture and take care of the sick. The children abroad help out by paying for the day care nurse , the food and medicines she requires. Talking to him reveals a frightened person not sure of what will happen next. He is emotionally tired most of the time. Whenever I visit them , I end up being sucked into their situation. I feel his pain of watching a beloved disappear little by little and yet being only able to do so little for her.

It always reminds me of Nicholas Sparks 1996 romance novel entitled The Notebook. It was adapted into a film in 2004. The protagonist Noah watched helplessly as Alice, his childhood sweetheart, wife of 49 years, slowly lose clarity due to Alzheimer’s disease.

“Alzeheimer’s …. It is a barren disease, as empty and lifeless as a desert. It is a thief of hearts and souls and memories.’’- Nicholas Spark, in The Notebook.

According to the World Health Organisation(WHO) website: https://www.who.int

dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases affecting memory, thinking, reasoning skills and ability to perform daily activities.
It is a chronic progressive disease of the brain caused by damage to it.
It is the 7^th leading cause of death and a major cause of disability and dependency among old people worldwide.
9% of dementia occurs in the young while 91% occurs in the 65+years of age. It tends to get worse after 65 years of age.
60-70 percent of dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

It is not an inevitable part of ageing. It has no cure.

Dementia has become more prevalent in the last 50 years. In 2021, about 57 million people were living with dementia worldwide. 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year.

In May 2017, WHO recognised dementia as a public health priority. It drew out the Global Action on the Public Health Response to Dementia for 2017-25. It is meant to address the skyrocketing global dementia cases that threaten to overwhelm the health care systems.

It has been officially extended to 2031 as many countries had fallen back on their targets. It serves to increase awareness, reduce stigma, reduce risk of dementia and improve the diagnosis, treatment and care- to improve the quality of life and daily functioning while supporting their care givers.

The increase in cases is associated with an increase in the ageing populations and some modifiable health and lifestyle factors.

Some Scientific studies have associated this increase rate with the increased use of chemical pollutants , fertilisers and insecticides in the last fifty years.

Pesticides are known to act as neurotoxins : toxins to nerve cells of insects and have been proved to accumulate over time in the human body. Chronic exposure to low levels of environment pesticides leads to their accumulation in the brain cells , causing damage that results in age-related cognitive decline.

The changes in the brain start years before the clinical signs appear. As dementia develops slowly and invisibly, it is often called “ the silent thief’’.

Pesticide –related health risk remains a controversial topic that demands for more ongoing scientific cohort and cross-sectional studies in different populations.

In some epidermiology studies, the increased chronic exposure to pesticides in some agricultural zones has been associated with higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the populations.

Bill Gates, the American billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, a co- founder of the software company Microsoft(1975) , experienced the agony of watching his father whom he refers to as a ‘’ a giant in every sense of the word, slowly but steadily lose himself as he suffered from Alzheimer’s for almost thirteen years. He died aged 94 years in 2020.

Since then Bill Gates has donated 300 million USD to Alzheimer’s disease Research:

To encourage researchers to work together and share information
To work with commercial partners to develop simple, better diagnostic tests and making them accessible.
Improve current treatments
Develop new accessible treatments
Study more and understand the pathology of the disease.

Previously, the diagnostic tests relied on invasive spinal taps or expensive PET scans. Before the PET scans, the disease could only be confirmed after microscopic examination of the brain of a dead patient.

Available information indicates that since May 2025, there has been a blood-based diagnostic test for adults aged 55+ showing cognitive symptoms in USA. This is no mean achievement.

More thoroughly researched break throughs are likely to occur if more funds are made available.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics report of the National Population and Housing Census of 2024:

Uganda’s life expectancy has increased to 68.2 years.

Male averaging 66.9 years female averaging 70.1 years

The 60 + now are 5.0% of the population of 45.9 million

We are likely to see an increase in dementia cases.

We need to take precautions, increase awareness about the disease so as to reduce the risk of developing it.

Not forgetting that Uganda is mainly an agricultural country and the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides which find their way into the water, food and air, is on the increase.

In my own circle, a number of friends; male and female, have been diagnosed with dementia in the last six years. It is very scary for many of us as the health care system is inadequate. Patients with dementia and their carers have very little support apart from family and friends.

We are left with focusing on the modifiable health lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

These protect the brain and heart health. They include:

Regular exercises
Stopping the use of tobacco
Minimising the use of alcohol
Having a balanced diet and nutrition
Daily mental stimulation to challenge your brain. Keep learning new things.
Proper management of medical conditions like High Blood Pressure, Type 2 Diabetes and high cholesterol blood levels
Preventing injury to the head by wearing helmets and seatbelts.
Spend time engaging with family, friends, the community and nature.
Adequate regular sleep at night (7-8 hours)
Minimising indoor, outdoor environmental pollution.

These two quotes about Alzheimer’s disease are enough to convey the devastating effects of the disease: The Mind Thief.

“Alzheimer disease is the silent thief that slips into your mind at night, stealing your most precious memories, your words, and your very identity, leaving you awake in a house of strangers that used to be your life.’’- Wendy Mitchell, a renown British author and global dementia advocate after being diagnosed with it, aged 58 years in 2014.

“Alzheimer’s is the cleverest thief, she not only steals from you , she steals the very thing that you need to remember what’s been stolen’’ -Jarod Kintz

QUESTION : Are you seeing what I am seeing in the elderly around us?

Has this post helped you recognise the need for changes in your lifestyle to reduce the risk of developing dementia?

ME TIME

Spending time out in the wild can help you find your inner Self.
the photo is from Unsplash.com

Today’s world is a fast-paced one, demanding for constant urgency, relentless productivity and expectations, and a sense of being busy, driven by technology, demanding schedules and pressure to achieve instant gratification. Being exposed for long to such a harsh environment causes stress, burnout, poor mental well-being and a constant struggle to find the right balance between work and meaningful connections. Each one of us especially those in the 25-60 age group need a constant reminder for the vital need to set aside some ”ME TIME ” every day to find herself/himself and to refresh.

Spending time alone with yourself allows you to reboot, meditate, focus and be more creative and productive. Being away from it all reduces the distractions and interruptions.

Women in particular, as the natural Caregivers and nurturers in our communities, have many demands made on their time by family, friends and careers that they may fail to find time for themselves. And when they do, they tend to feel guilty about it.

The psychologists never cease to remind us that each one of us needs time to look within herself/himself to know who he/she really is. Knowing your inner thoughts and beliefs, your gifts, talents and weaknesses and embracing them, helps you to act authentically and results in meaningful and fulfilling lives.

As children we very much want to please our parents then our teachers and later as teenagers we want to please our peers mainly because we want to belong and even fit in. We step into predetermined roles that in a large measure come to define us. Between 30and 40 years of age, we go through life being guided by our ambitions, desires and aspirations.

After 40 most of us throw away the cultural and society conditioning and embark on a journey to find our own way of expressing our uniqueness in the world. Through our identities and vocations we express who we are.

The Merriam – Webster dictionary defines Self –awareness as an awareness of one’s own personality or individuality. The psychologists refer to this state as a state in which oneself becomes the focus of attention. It involves being aware of the different aspects of the Self including traits, behaviours and feelings. It is about understanding your own needs, desires, failings, habits, why you feel what you feel and why you behave in a particular way and everything else that makes you, you.

“ I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am , the more I will respect myself.”- Charlotte Bronte.

Self-awareness is a challenging and a lifelong effort. Through the experiences we go through: loses and achievements, failures and successes and how we respond to them and our interactions with other people and how we respond to them , help us to explore and understand ourselves . We find the Self- the inner you. We act on what we get to know about ourselves and use it to change ourselves for the better. The inner you has to be constantly renewed and healed by connecting to the mind, soul , and heart .

The Benefits of self-awareness/Knowing yourself.

“ I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” – Hermann Hesse

Knowing your inner self is essential for you to live a more meaningful and satisfying life. It helps you become more objective about yourself. Other benefits include:

Having a clear sense of purpose- you get to know
your purpose and direction in life. You get to know what is important to you
and what you hope to achieve.
Self-acceptance- you understand that you are not
perfect but have strengths and weaknesses. You recognize the form of your own
beauty, whether it is the beauty of your body, mind or your character. It helps
you to gradually become honest and authentic.
You build strong relationships- the more you
know and understand yourself, the more you get to understand others and the
more you can influence them positively.
Experience greater well-being. The more you are
in touch with your soul, the more you recognize the great worth within you, you
begin to respect and have reverence of oneself.
Happiness- you align your thoughts, actions with
your core values.
More creative and productive- When your mind,
your soul and heart are in harmony, you are more focused, imaginative and
creative. You create things out of who you are organically.

How to increase Self-awareness.

The psychologists advise us to increase our self awareness by practicing the following every day:

Devote time to yourself- everyday spend time
with yourself by reading, writing, praying and connecting with yourself.
Mindfulness practice- pay attention to your
inner state and external experiences occurring in the present moment. It can be
done through training or by practicing meditation.
Keep a journal- Record your thoughts, feelings,
ideas and important decisions. It helps you to process your thoughts and to
connect with yourself at a deeper level. It helps you also to track your
progress in life.
Train yourself to become a good listener- Listen
beyond the words. Listening to others makes you a better listener to your own
inner voice and you become your own best friend.
Feedbacks- have the courage to ask what others
think of you- at home, at work and ask the friends you consider important to
you. As you learn about yourself, you also learn about others and how they
respond to you. Use the objective feed back to change yourself for the better.
The more you accept yourself, the more accepting of others you become.

Researchers have proved that the best way to get to truly know yourself is to disconnect from it all; people, gadgets and be alone with yourself.

In the Bible, on several occasions, Jesus Christ would go off alone to pray and refresh himself.

A day before he chose the twelve disciples, he went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” Carl Gustav Jung.

As a daughter, wife, mother, friend, medical doctor and member of my community, I used to find it difficult to make time for myself. As I grow older, I have found it easier to find time to give to myself without feeling guilty. I developed it gradually after I recognized that I was not indispensable, neither could I be available 24/7 nor do everything. I learned to prioritize to free up time to focus on the 20% most important things in my life. I learned to delegate tasks and to empower family and friends to do things for themselves. I have learned to set boundaries and limits to safeguard myself against burn out.

I regularly give to myself by reading the Bible, reading novels, listening to good music, country and oldies tunes. I am a keen gardener too. I tend to my vegetable garden and small orchard. Right now I have a graviola/soursop tree bent with spiky green fruits. I cannot wait to eat them and share a few with friends.

Walking about in the bush in the village is a privileged experience that enables me to connect with the beauty of nature and to find my place in the universe. It feeds my soul.

My best time with myself is when I wake up as early as 5am to write a chapter for a novel or a post for the blog for two and half hours. By that time it is peaceful and calm as most people are still in bed and the deafening noises of the boda bodas– motorcycle taxis, are also silent. I try to pack in as much as I can before the sunrise. Thankfully, the ideas flow freely. I am strongly focused as I paint on the day’s blank canvas using all the colours of the rainbow. I tend to be more productive and effective at this quiet time. At that moment in time, I am fully conscious of who I am and what I am doing.

I have come to understand that all human beings are born to be creators of things including their own lives and that the most magnificent works are created only when the mind, soul and heart are working in tandem. The works themselves are an expression of who we are at that moment in time. When the mind and soul are at odds, we live a life of struggle. Many people pass through life not knowing who truly they are and what they want out of life. Sometimes the people around us influence us to the extent of suffocating who we are or the choices available to us are limited. We miss out on expressing our wholeness- not expressing what is most unique about each one of us towards making a better world.

“ We are alive or dead according to the condition of our Souls.”- James Hillman

The Soul is the most creative and transformative part of ourselves.

And Ralph Ellison said: “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.’’ Being in touch with your Soul awakens your imagination and this drives you to find meaning and beauty in your life. Life ceases to be a struggle and instead things flow easily.

According to Wikipedia, the multilingual free online encyclopedia, One of the mottos inscribed on the 4^th century BC Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece was : “ Know Thyself.’’ The ancient Greek philosophers, Socrates and Plato often referred to this motto in their works. Essentially it served to draw the attention of the worshippers entering the temple to the fact that : When you know and understand yourself then you are able to understand other human beings better.

After all, much of our lives are created collectively not individually.

QUESTION:

Do you set aside “Me Time” everyday to get in touch with your Soul? Have you started creating beautiful things authentically from your Soul?