Q: I feel sad around the holidays because I can’t stop thinking about how things were before my loved one developed Alzheimer’s disease. How can I bring back the joy of the holidays?
A: Many people enter the holiday season with a mixed bag of memories and emotions. Rituals, familiar food and smells, songs and decorations all stimulate memories of people and holidays past. The season may loom particularly heavy if you have a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s common to think about what has changed and yearn for the way things used to be.
It is important to realize that how you feel is a byproduct of your thoughts, and caregivers may be especially susceptible to…
