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Peter Alexander was diagnosed with dementia in his late forties; a diagnosis he did not expect. The diagnosis meant he had to leave his job and adjust to a new way of life. Now, at the age of 56, Peter is passionate about tackling the stigma around the condition, which is commonly associated with elderly people. “I might not always be able to express it in the same way, but I’m still the same person I was, inside I’m still Peter,” he told BBC News NI.
Peter was 49 when he made an appointment to see a neurologist and was subsequently sent for a scan. He explained, “I was starting to struggle to meet deadlines (at work), which had never been a problem before, and during meetings, I wouldn’t be able to think of a word when speaking.” On January 14, 2018, the results of the scan came back, and Peter was diagnosed with having Frontotemporal dementia. “I was basically told that it was no longer safe for me to work because I have diminished judgment and I was losing my filter, so it was a lot to adapt to,” he said.
Frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia that causes issues with behaviour and language. Peter highlighted that “People think when you have dementia it’s only about forgetting things, but it’s more complex, it can manifest in different ways. I don’t want to be treated differently, it’s imperative that people actually see the person, see beyond the condition.” The Alzheimer’s Society states that more than 22,000 people are living with dementia in Northern Ireland, with the number expected to almost triple to 60,000 by 2051.
In recent months, Peter has teamed up with other people in Northern Ireland who are living with dementia to make a documentary called Hear Our Voice about their experience of everyday life. The film primarily focuses on people with young-onset dementia, offering an insight into what living with dementia is like, with the hope of creating better understanding and empathy. Peter features throughout the film and narrates it, stating “Respect was granted to people who have dementia to make and take control of the film to help us get across the unique challenges we have.
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