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Newsfeed PostNewsfeed Post in blog Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Intimacy and memory problems May 14, 2022 | By Dona Locke (@DrDonaLocke)Comment receiving replies
This is a great post and one that probably touches everyone who has experienced MCI - whether they are the patient or the partner. I would expand the topic to go way beyond sexual intimacy. I remember at the very beginning feeling almost "abandoned" because my husband would no longer talk to me when we were traveling. Once he was diagnosed, I realized that he had to concentrate so hard on driving that anything else was a distraction - even music in the car. Of course, it wasn't long until he was no longer driving. But still, intimacy comes in many forms. It can often just be someone who listens to you, puts his/her arms around you, and gives you support. Even this kind of intimacy is often lost with MCI because the person truly can't maintain the kind of focus this requires. It is sad.
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Your comment is interesting to me. My MCI partner is still driving safely. I have noticed that we can't talk when he is driving-I couldn't figure out why. I suspect it is because he has to concentrate so hard that he can't manage the distraction. Thanks for helping me understand.
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Thank you so much for your comment @debbraw! I could not agree with you more. Intimacy has many forms. I did want to highlight sexual intimacy changes as those are often difficult for couples and providers to talk about, but I absolutely agree that intimacy has many forms all of which can be impacted by MCI. Like @joancampy said, I also empathize with this loss and the sadness you much feel. In your example of not talking during travel--I'm curious--once you figured out the cause, were there ways you found your connection to your husband again in different ways? I like @joancampy's example of Jan falling asleep with her head in her lap.