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It often is in how you say rather than what you say that delivers real meaning. The health section of this morning’s New York Times ran an article entitled Taking Early Retirement May Retire Memory, Too. Click on the title to read the article in my Archive.
My last two posts on this Blog were about Truth then Happiness. Using the article posted my point is to show how truth can be manipulated and happiness deluded. I also want to point out how the findings batted about in the posted article suggest what’s good for the Alzheimer’s (AD) person is good for all seniors. Use it or lose it.
Last first: If you do not look your circumstances directly in the eye and respond positively in coping with their down side you are going to improve yourself. That is given. Like in the happiness article, you put in you get out in same kind. What? You get a far more agreeable style of life. With a life you like better comes acuity about it. This alone will help memory and cognition in general.
This is the primary message I gleaned from the article. The other two messages were these.
- The title is negative and sets a similar theme to the article. First the article attacks the validity of the study. The title sets the tone, if it is right all they say about caring for yourself as recommended to those with AD is meaningless. The same things happen to people without AD because of the inactivity occasioned by retirement. Then the quotes and contents again attack the basis for the finding that retirement does this, suggesting this is cause to doubt the result.
- What they don’t say is where I find what they do so which argues with the way they say it!
… work actually provides an important component of the environment that keeps people functioning optimally.
Nonetheless, he said, “it’s a strong finding; it’s a big effect.
“It’s quite convincing, but it’s not the complete story,” Dr. Suzman said. “This is an opening shot. But it’s got to be followed up.”
The preceding three statements is what I take as something to learn from this article. I would say it this way:
Like the malaise that comes to the AD patient following diagnosis produces a reduction in cognitive acuity, this article suggest work is another cause that reduces acuity.
The article discusses nothing about enhancing quality of life countering any reduction in cognitive acuity nor does it speak of the other benefits that flow from finding more pleasure with your life.
I think the enhancement of the quality of life for an AD patient or for a person retiring will do more for reversing the memory defects, the cognitive loss and the general depression that accompanies the person when let to nothing.
I am lucky. I am a self starter. I always have been. That is one of the blessings I carry in life. My commitment to AD, the actual improvement that gave my quality of life has sustained me this past 4+ years since diagnosis in a very positive sort of way.
Has it increased my cognition and overcome limitations which might otherwise have occurred. Has it added anything to my cognition, my sensitivity, my memory? I do hhhhhhhnot have a clue!
Has it made my life better? You bet! Better than its ever been, and mine has been on balance a good life.
The truth of the article is skewed by its title and tone. Retirement produces much the same results as AD. Prodding the mind to think can counter act the loss of acuity that otherwise occurs.
Just as it does with AD when you medicate this disease when you Eat Right, Exercise Daily get involved in Stimulating Intellectual, Creative and Social Activities is AD this can forego or at least delay the negative losses produced by this disease. AD patients along with newly retired need the programs providing this, namely programs that encourage the acceptance and utilizing the means to enhance their lives.
Many of us need help at this
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