Anthropology of alzheimer's disease

This is a reflexive (self-reflexivity) study about Alzheimer's disease and the problems brought about by the disease. With Alzheimer's, individuals are forced to change their lives like displaced people who are forced to migrate from one place to the other. This study looks at the situation of those people who have to change their lives in the face of this disease, and it studies it from the perspective of Anthropology.Alzheimer's could almost qualify as a science - fiction movie. Overtime, the patient alienates and becomes a stranger to himself. At the same time, those close to the patient, meet a whole new person, a person they don't know, under the appearance of the same person they have known for years. From that point on, even if they try get out of their shell to leave the old life behind and take a step towards a new life, this disease prevents them from seeing the path ahead.Alzheimer is a disease that lasts a long time (8-12 years). The patient becomes alienated to his own identity and starts to break away from social life during this time. Parallel to this, the caregiver who is forced to assume the responsibility of caring for the patient, becomes isolated from social life as well. The caregiver becomes at risk of developing all kinds of diseases if she/ he cannot find a solution for herself/himself. The most common problem for caregivers is depression. In Turkey, the Alzheimer's Association tries to give a helping hand to those caregivers who feel helpless and lonely. The Alzheimer's Association's headquartes are in Istanbul, with eight branches in total around the country. The activities at these centers are not only for caregivers, but for the patients as well. These activities help the caregiver and the patient re-enter the social life.My field study continued for a year, and it took place at the Alzheimer's Association's Istanbul headquartes. In addition to that, I also had the chance to participate in other organizations' support group meetings. I shared information over the internet with people who are fighting this disease on their own. At the end of all these, I reached some facts which made me think that I was studying a true human science (anthropology). These facts pushed me into ontological concepts such as "love/affection" and "time".xAlzheimer's patients taught me about love and time. And the Alzheimer's caregivers taught me about the strength of sharing against the loneliness as a result ofalienation and how people need each other. We needed each other. Loneliness, which is the disease of the century, could only be dispersed by people supporting each other.