Abstract
No-one knows what it is truly like to live with dementia unless, like Christine Bryden, you are living with dementia yourself. This is Christine’s third published book on her journey living with dementia and chronicles 20 years of activism and advocacy. This book is a written collection of talks and presentations that Christine has given over the past two decades and will appeal to people with both a professional or personal interest in the subject.
Due to the collective nature of this book, it can at times be repetitive with regard to Christine’s background, but it is important to note how significant these events are in her story. Being diagnosed at such a young age (46) and with three young children, it is crucial for the reader to have this understanding of her history, to consider the impact of dementia on Christine as an individual but also on her young family. Christine intimately describes the impact her diagnosis had on the family unit and how she channelled her own thoughts and feelings into writing her first two books on her experiences. Within this book, there is significant discussion of Christine’s religious faith and beliefs which may prove uncomfortable for some readers; however, it only highlights how people living with dementia seek strength from different outlets and reinforces the individuality of the person, without focus on the disease.
Images of Christine’s own PET and MRI scans will give the reader an understanding of the physiological changes in a person with dementia’s brain; however, she also uses these to show that a medical diagnosis and image of a brain does not determine the abilities and prognosis of the individual. From her diagnosis in 1995, Christine was told it was likely she would steadily decline over the next five years until she was in full-time care, followed by death three years later. This monologue, published over 20 years later, challenges and confronts that defining prognosis.
Christine gives us a real insight into living with dementia whilst challenging the stigma and prejudices attached to the condition that sadly still exist. She refuses to be labelled and strongly advocates for the support of people living with dementia as opposed to the traditional support of only their carers. Christine gives an honest account of being an advocate, whilst acknowledging the struggles she endured with coming to terms with her diagnosis and the associated anxiety and burn out. This is a strong and powerful read that I would recommend for anyone with any interest or connection to dementia, professional or personal.