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Monica.....we watched a movie on TV tonight about an Alzheimer's patient. Wife was bothered by it. Then, on the Newsmax.com website they were advertising books by Dr. Dan Amen, about Alzheimers. He has a Health Report. Are you familiar with his stuff?

Dear friend,

Thanks for writing. I am not familiar specifically with this Dr. Dan Amen you mentioned other than some articles about him on the Internet, which can be found in a Google or other search engine. He has a variety of theories about the brain overall and his theme is "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life." I have not done any research on him so I cannot offer any opinion on the validity of his claims.

Please remember that if you see an advertisement for a product on a website, it's a PAID placement and NOT a news article. There are so many theories out there on the cause and effect of Alzheimer's that it is truly difficult or frankly impossible to navigate them all and find the best information that meets your family's needs. That's why the Alzheimer's Association alz.org is a great resource because its staff follows the news closely and reports any breakthroughs or vital information that can keep families and professionals informed.

But we humans are curious beings and always searching for more answers when we're hurting … always hoping to find the one that will provide THE answer we want and that will ease our pain … If only it were that simple.

No matter the topic these days, the Internet has made the search for answers easier and more difficult because of the information overload, of which it seems there is a growing amount of material without any sources of reliable research. As a former newspaper reporter and editor and someone who is still quite meticulous about research, I find that distressing.

I can only imagine how difficult it was for your spouse to watch the show about Alzheimer's when she's been told this is what she has. Movies or TV specials about Alzheimer's are not easy to watch when you or a loved one is affected by this horrible disease. I'm not sure which show you're referring to, but it is sure hard to cram all the realities of several years into two hours or less.

Thanks again for sharing your questions and I hope I've helped. Please feel free to contact me directly at info@copeandsurvive.com.

Take care, friend.
Monica