What can a diseased
brain tell us about being human, living our own lives better, and helping those
with dementia get the best out of theirs? Wendy Mitchell tells us.
اضافة اعلان
After being diagnosed with young-onset
dementia at the age of 58, her brain was overwhelmed with images of the last
stages of the disease — those familiar tropes, shortcuts, and clichés — that
are fed to the masses by the media, and even some health professionals.
But her diagnosis
far from represented the end of her life. Instead, it was the start of a very
different one.
Wise, practical,
and life-affirming, “
What I Wish People Knew About Dementia” combines anecdotes,
research, and Mitchell’s own brilliant wit and wisdom to tell readers exactly
what she wishes they knew about dementia.
Reviews
“An engaging and hopeful read. Mitchell’s signature warmth and optimism
shine through on almost every page.” — The Irish Times
“This is a book
whose purpose is to convert despair into hope … A kind of how-to manual for
people with the condition and those who support them. It proceeds with a
practical and calming formula: take a difficulty and find a way to overcome it.
Running under all the commonsense pieces of advice is a deeper and more
existential message, one for all of us, young and old, in health or frailty: be
kind, be attentive, be resilient, bend with change rather than be broken by it,
connect, forgive, accept, embrace, (and) live.” — Nicci Gerard, The Observer
“Essential reading
for those living with dementia, those who support them, professionals working
in the field and any ‘curious individual’ … Her message for those given a
dementia diagnosis is to never give up on themselves.” — Sunday Times Magazine
“A compelling
blend of (a) how-to manual and manifesto for a more sympathetic and informed
approach to the disease. Even those whose own lives have yet to be touched by
Alzheimer’s and other forms of the condition … will surely respond to this
uplifting depiction of the survival of the human spirit in the most testing of
circumstances.” — The Financial Times
“A must-read. … It
offers readers a practical and really honest guide to life after a diagnosis of
dementia … For anyone who’s beginning this journey, I couldn’t recommend it
higher.” — Michael Ball, BBC Radio 2
“Revelatory. …
There are many books about dementia that focus on its biology, its clinical
subtypes, its social dimension, its effect on careers and loved ones. But there
are few memoirs written by the people with dementia themselves. Mitchell’s
joins a burgeoning literature of medical memoirs that, like the finest travel
writing or reportage, transport the reader to another world that they may or
may not visit one day.” The Times
“Currently, 50
million people worldwide live with dementia; it is estimated this will increase
to 152 million by 2050. So we’d better all buy this godsend of a book. ...
Wendy Mitchell is a life-saver.” — Frances Wilson, The Oldie
About the author
Mitchell spent 20
years as a non-clinical team leader in the NHS before being diagnosed with
young-onset dementia in July 2014 at the age of 58. Shocked by the lack of
awareness about the disease, both in the community and in hospitals, she vowed
to spend her time raising awareness about dementia and encouraging others to
see that there is life after a diagnosis.
She is now an
ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and in 2019 she was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Health by the University of Bradford for her contribution to
research.
Read more Books
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
