Page 15 - Aug 2020 Citrus

Senior Voice of Citrus County - AUGUST 2020 • 15
Health Connections Senior Voice of Citrus County - AUGUST 2020 • 15
Coping with Dementia

Time for a Gratitude List

By Debbie with unimpaired thinking colored-glasses mind game. thanks for what we have.
Selsavage processes, so imagine how There is real science behind it. Try it. Your first gratitude list
confusing it must be for your
COVID-19 loved one who is living with Neuropsychologists have may seem hard to do, and it
has been dementia. studied the effects of positive may contain only one or two
tough on us. thinking for about 20 years items. That’s okay. This is
Isolation, The challenges of COVID now, and time and again a qualitative process, not a
fear of have been a frequent topic the research shows that the quantitative exercise. Think
infection, within the care partner active practice of gratitude about those one or two items
and the confusing debate support groups I facilitate releases dopamine and you are grateful for. When
that has gone on over the online each week. So, serotonin in the brain. These you least expect it, that
scientific aspects of the virus recently I began to suggest are the chemicals that make dopamine and serotonin may
are making us crazy! None of a technique that I have seen us feel good. Not only is kick in, and suddenly your list
us is immune to the negative work time and again: Make a it momentarily beneficial, gets a little longer. The only

social impact of our situation, Gratitude List, or write a letter but over time it creates a thing you have to lose is your
and especially not individuals of gratitude to someone you systemic process where unhappy thoughts!
living with dementia, their know. positive thoughts generate Debbie Selsavage is a
families, and their care “That’s it!” you say? “A these beneficial chemicals, Certified Trainer and
partners. Gratitude List when and the beneficial chemicals Consultant in the Positive
lead to more positive thoughts
Think you have it tough? everything in my life seems to that may help you become Approach to Care, and
How would you like it if the have gone to hell?” a better care partner for a Certified Dementia
only contact with your loved Yes. In fact, those times your individual living with Practitioner. Her company,

one locked down in a memory when we seem to have the dementia. Coping with Dementia LLC,
care facility is to try to speak least to be grateful for are is dedicated to making life
to them on a cell phone while the best times to identify World religions have known better for individuals living
waving and smiling through a and talk about the positive this for eons. They call it with dementia. Contact
window? This is emotionally things in our lives. This is not prayer; not the prayer when Debbie at deb@coping.today
difficult for those of us some kind of new-age, rose- we ask for what we want, to learn about free support
groups on line.
but the prayer when we give
C o p i n g w i t h D e m e n t i a O ff e r s

O n li n e S u p p o r t G r o u p M e e t i n g s

A Care Partner Support Group, A Caregiver Support Group are also Another Caregiver Support Group
facilitated by Debbie Selsavage, meets held every Thursday at 1 p.m. on Zoom, meetings facilitated by Linda Burhans
every Tuesday at 1 p.m. on Zoom. using the link: and Debbie Selsavage, meets every

Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom, using
Join Zoom Meeting using this link https://zoom.us/j/95073673682?pwd=
below: ditXaDJWUFNBK3F6bDVlVkpjbnFi the link:
Zz09 https://us04web.zoom.us/j/234228825?
https://zoom.us/j/91376381906?pwd=

R0xPZjV1K3QxajBHNzF6b2czL3dT Meeting ID: 950 7367 3682 pwd=QnV3T2FoYi9IRWwybG9XeE9o
QT09 VGw1Zz09
Password: 415051
Meeting ID: 913 7638 1906 Meeting ID: 234 228 825

Password: 899986
Password: 521649