Last Sunday night on the long running TV show, 60 Minutes, I watched the story of a husband and wife. The wife had Alzheimer’s. They both decided to let someone follow them over a ten-year period to help people understand what it’s like to live with this incurable disease.
As the years passed, the wife’s memory became worse and worse. The husband, an ex-police officer, became suicidal at times. He struggled for a long time, finally deciding it was time that his wife be put into care where people could keep a close watch over her. He had became her caregiver, and was both scared and worried to leave the house—for fear of what might happen to her. She had falls before when he wasn’t there.
The anxiety and depression she experienced as part of this disease had set in. Once his wife was in care where he could visit her, he was then able to find time to get exercise and take care of himself again. This helped him to get out of his own depression, anxiety, stress, and severe weight gain that caused him to have symptoms indicating a heart attack. All he was going through was due to not being able to cope with the rapid decline his wife was going through.
I’ve been stressed out lately due to having to close on a house in a very short period of time. But, stories like this can certainly help you put things back into perspective, and make you feel grateful. Be grateful for what you do have.
Watching this story, and feeling the emotion of it all, made me want to put my past words back out there on how important it is to take care of your mind, and your body. The story above indeed proves a connection. Please take care of you.
You can see or revisit the article here.
If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with any kind of life transition, or just plain struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, or share this article.
Amy