Facing Alzheimer’s is daunting at best, whether this condition affects someone you love, or you find yourself in its early stages. Although we have no current means of stopping the progression of this terrible disease, Alzheimers therapy helps you use medication and non-medication options for symptom reduction. Of course, getting to know your options plays a significant role in how you choose to ensure your best quality of life.
Alzheimers Therapy Memory Medications
Because Alzheimers takes a quick and major toll on your memory, most Alzheimers therapy involves the use of medications for memory. Unfortunately, these medications do not stop the disease’s harmful effects. However, they do help reduce or slow the disease’s progression in this area of your life.
Houston memory problems therapy medications include cholinesterase inhibitors. These treat problems with thinking, confusion, and memory loss, as well as reasoning. The FDA approved medications help your brain chemistry offset some effects of brain cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. In many ways, the medications bridge the gap between dying brain cells and their connections to extend brain message delivery.
Behavioral Alzheimers Therapy
Sadly, behavioral changes play a big part in Alzheimer’s disease. Over time, your loved one takes on new ways of behaving or differs from the person you knew before the disease. This causes many challenges in daily living.
Your loved one’s brain cells suffer damage as part of the ongoing process of the disease. So behavioral changes evolve as the cells deteriorate.
Some of these behavioral changes include the following:
- Irritability and agitation
- Anxiety and depression
- Aggression and anger
- Emotional distress and outbursts
- Restlessness, pacing, and destructive behaviors
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Sleep problems and Sundowning
Through non-drug approaches of Houston Alzheimers therapy, your loved one gains greater physical and emotional comfort. This helps manage their behaviors. Therapy also enables you to figure out their frustrations so you can understand why they act out and make positive changes.
Sometimes behavioral issues require the help of medications. This help includes reducing the potential for self-harm or hurting others.
Houston Alzheimers Therapy for Sleep Problems
One of the most significant issues in Alzheimer’s disease is sleep problems. These problems affect your loved one and, in turn, you struggle with disrupted sleep as a caregiver. To ease this pattern, your Houston Alzheimers therapy first looks for non-drug methods of dealing with sleep changes. Then, after exhausting non-medication options without benefit, some medications prove helpful.
Sleep changes of Alzheimer’s disease include difficulty falling asleep, gaining quality sleep, or staying asleep long enough for adequate rest. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease wander around their living space instead of sleeping, bringing the risk for falls and other injuries. Others yell out in the night, which then disrupts the sleep of others in the household.
Many people with this disease also struggle to stay awake in the daytime, while feeling fully alert at night. This “Sundowning” often includes late afternoon agitation. According to studies, in this phase of Alzheimer’s, many people apply about half of their sleep to the daytime and stay awake for about half of the night. This sleep pattern reversal causes many problems in daily life.
Houston Psychiatric Care and Alzheimers Therapy
At PACE Mental Health Houston, your loved one gains the Alzheimers therapy they need to reduce their symptoms and enjoy a higher quality of life for a longer period. This therapy includes an individualized array of methods and services, such as:
- Outpatient psychiatric services
- Traditional psychiatry, consultation, and evaluation
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Medication therapy
- Flexible appointments and short wait times
- Houston Alzheimers psychiatrist
If someone you love suffers Alzheimers disease, then get the help they need through Alzheimers therapy. Call PACE Mental Health Houston now at 866.971.8423.