Knowing when and how to tell family, friends and colleagues about your diagnosis can be difficult. It can take time for people to understand and come to terms with a condition they have never heard of before. There is no right or wrong time to tell those around you, and you will know best when feels right for you.
It could be helpful to talk this through with members of our support groups who have been in a similar situation.
For more information on support group meetings, please visit our Meetings page. Here, you can search for meetings by date, location and the relevant rare dementia group.
Finding the right language is also important when telling those close to you. We have made a series of short films for each rare dementia group that could support you in explaining your experience. Please visit the specific dementia group that affects you to access these films.
Another resource you may find useful is a film put together by Young Dementia UK, which features people discussing topics such as: who they told first and why; who else did it help to tell; what kinds of reaction it can cause; and advice for others who have just received a diagnosis. You can watch the video here.
Young Dementia UK have also made a film which explores the specific challenges of discussing a diagnosis of dementia with your children. This can be especially true if you have received a diagnosis at a younger age, and you have children that are still dependant on you. You can watch the video here.
