10. Loss of initiative.
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities or social obligations.
But for most people, this feeling is brief and enthusiasm and interest return. The person with HD may become apathetic and
become indifferent towards activities which used to bring them satisfaction and happiness.
11. Depression.
Tragedy saddens us all but the person with HD may not recover- they may show increased irritability
or crying and may express feelings of hopelessness or guilt. They may lose interest in ordinary activities, such as sex, and
may even experience disturbances in eating and/or sleeping patterns. Severely depressed individuals may
even talk openly of suicide, saying things like, "I'm not needed anymore," or "Things would be better off without me."
12. Loss of social inhibitions.
It is normal to change beliefs or values as you age. A person with HD may
uncharacteristically start cussing, gambling, lying, cheating, stealing or being sexually inappropriate-
things they would have never done before.
13. Loss of visual-spatial coordination.
Anyone might misjudge a turn or hit a curb. However, a person with HD may lose the coordination or
reflexes to avoid an accident, back out of a driveway, or shift the car. They may hit their elbows while walking through doorways
or bump into a wall while simply walking down a hallway.
14. Slowed comprehension.
Everyone occasionally misses the punch line of a joke but a person with
HD may have poor or slowed comprehension so they cannot grasp the meaning of a story or conversation. There may also be slowed
interpretations or misinterpre-tations of facial expressions, such as approval or disgust, causing inappropriate responses
and misunderstandings.
Please note:
The changes noted above, subtle to severe, should be brought to your doctor's attention if they begin
happening unexplainably or are not characteristic of your usual behavior or normal abilities. Since some of these warning
signs are so personal, only you or someone close to you, can help determine if they indicate areas for concern or are simply
a result of stress or illness. What is typical for one person my not be considered "normal" for someone else.
I wrote 14 Changes That Could Signal Concern In HD to inform and teach about
the softer symptoms of HD in a manner that can be easily understood, allowing everyone to recognize
their subtleties early on so they can cope positively with them, instead of letting them ruin their lives. In addition, I
got tired of everyone saying to me (when I would try to describe what was happening to me)- "I always forget
where I leave my keys", or "Everyone does that!"
This will hopefully show that real HD-affected problems are much deeper than most realize, when compared
with normal forgetfulness, emotions and behavior. The idea came from an Alzheimer's handout I read, however, the examples
have all been changed to fit those early cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms of HD.
My goal was not to create mass hysteria with these 14 Changes, but to help eliminate so much of the
bleeding in the trenches I see daily.
Phil Hardt, HD Warrior 16-May-02
