A big Dementia Diaries welcome to Chris!

Hello my name is Christopher Higgins, I’ve just joined DEEP and I would like to introduce myself. My friends call me Chris or Ewok or Higgie but enough about that.

Quite a few years ago my wife Angela and I realised I was not coping well with my health – my mental health. After a substantial waiting list, I received excellent service from my psychotherapist. I was diagnosed with trauma. Eamon my consultant explained to me that the trauma would not allow me to deal with things like confrontation or anger. This reared its ugly head on the 31st of May 2019 when I had a massive breakdown, I walked out of my job of sixteen years, which I loved dearly.

Later that year, even though I knew I was not well enough to return to work, I had to. As Amber Rudd demolished the welfare system leaving us in a position where we were about to lose our home. Going here with a long story short. Around August 2020, Angela thought there was something, something seemed to be strange going on with me so we consulted our doctor. Subsequently the diagnosis came: it’s dementia. Heavy goods vehicle and bus entitlements erode from my driving licence immediately.

We were contacted by, no sorry we contacted Dementia NI and we where instantaneously welcomed, and the help we needed was on hand. So I am now looking forward to a new way of life. It’s difficult enough managing under my trauma, now I also have to deal with dementia.

This – this brings me to the fact that men can’t multi task! Therefore I’m going to try just to concentrate on two things.

One is: learn about beekeeping.

And two: open a blog on a YouTube channel.

So I am asking if anyone can join me or mentor me in any of these occupations please. I look forward to hearing from people from around the world.

Thank you very much.