I Am Dementia (Three)

The Shell

The potential is there

The predisposition

Security once breached

A portal for malware.

Its object lays hidden,

But not its objective,

Its mission subjective,

Its outcome predictive. 

With one clever foot in,

A foot in the backdoor,

He enters unbidden,

Slinks in her shadows

And takes residence there.

A thief in her night

Slowly but surely,

Devoid of all pity,

He begins to dispossess her

Of all that is her.

Now fast infector,

The resident virus

Accesses systems

And deletes all the files.

Her shell is now empty,

Her memory banks vacant

Her identity stolen,  

She is neither living nor dead.

Anna :o]

This may appear a morbid post and perhaps it is, but that is not its intention.  As we are now living longer it becomes more probable that more of us will come to know dementia on a personal level, that is, a family member (including ourselves) or someone close to us as in relative, friend, colleague or neighbour.

Dementia is a terrible thing – although a lucky few sufferers remain content with their life despite their failing memory.  Family members suffer too in different ways; some (most) 'joint' friends cease to visit and eventually cease to be friends and often extended family members withdraw too and the carer is left isolated.

I really can understand this, for it is difficult, very difficult to continue to love - or remain friends with - someone who becomes a stranger to you and indeed, deal with the hurt that you are a stranger to them.

It is time, well past the time, that as a species we 'grew-up' and dealt with and removed the stigma of mental ill-health.  None of us, I repeat, none of us, will breeze through life without being touched, in one way or another by mental health 'issues.'

Let's break down the barriers now!

With thanks to Tess at  Magpie Tales for the inspiration.

Links:  I am Dementia  (One)        

           I am Dementia  (Two)  "Look At You!"