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Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver
When Dr. Beverly E. Thorn became a caregiver for her husband, Walt, she joined a massive army. Worldwide, unpaid dementia caregiving requires the equivalent of forty million full-time workers, and that number will only grow. But navigating dementia caregiving can feel like trying to climb a mountain in the dark—and few resources exist to support caregivers in finding their way.
In Before I Lose My Own Mind, Thorn—a psychologist, neuroscientist, and end-of-life doula—provides an honest vision of caregiving that is tender, openhearted, and genuinely useful. Filled with resources and insights on financial planning, advance care directives, clinical trials, support groups, death with dignity, grief, recovery, and more, this book is a roadmap for all caregivers, whether they’re family or friends, spouses or children, professionals or novices.
For those coping with the grief, exhaustion, and loneliness of a challenge they never expected, help is out there. Surviving dementia caregiving is a team effort. Consider this book a part of your support crew.
In Before I Lose My Own Mind, Thorn—a psychologist, neuroscientist, and end-of-life doula—provides an honest vision of caregiving that is tender, openhearted, and genuinely useful. Filled with resources and insights on financial planning, advance care directives, clinical trials, support groups, death with dignity, grief, recovery, and more, this book is a roadmap for all caregivers, whether they’re family or friends, spouses or children, professionals or novices.
For those coping with the grief, exhaustion, and loneliness of a challenge they never expected, help is out there. Surviving dementia caregiving is a team effort. Consider this book a part of your support crew.
342 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2025
21 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Beverly E. Thorn
4 books19 followersPsychologist, Author, International Pain Management Expert, Alzheimer’s Caregiver, End-of-Life Doula
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 25, 2025
One doesn't expect a book about dementia caregiving to be a page-turner, but Dr. Beverly Thorn's beautifully written "Before I Lose My Own Mind" is very much that from beginning to end. This chronicle of how she and her beloved husband, Walt, worked their way through the years of his growing Alzheimer's is profound and personal.
There's no shrinking from tough subjects. For instance, Walt's greatest wish, knowing Alzheimer realities, was a death with dignity. So together they explored current assistance-in-dying options, organizations and legalities. Although they didn't ultimately choose this path, the chapter is an excellent resource guide.
The caregiver burden is heavy. Too much loneliness and exhaustion from having to make so many decisions, to maintain constant vigilance, to respond to moments of crisis. Too many unhelpful "You take care of yourself" admonitions. Rumor tells caregivers they may soon die from the stress or develop dementia themselves. Beverly's been through it all. Thus the title: "Before I Lose My Mind."
This book, however, is in no way a downer, thanks to Beverly's generosity of spirit, humor and shared understanding. Also, each chapter includes excellent related reference material. The book ends not with Walt's death, but with Beverly's journey through grief into the next life stage she's now creating--positive, exciting and purpose-driven.
As people read, love and give this book to all the people they know need it, it will surely become the Gold Standard for dementia caregivers.
There's no shrinking from tough subjects. For instance, Walt's greatest wish, knowing Alzheimer realities, was a death with dignity. So together they explored current assistance-in-dying options, organizations and legalities. Although they didn't ultimately choose this path, the chapter is an excellent resource guide.
The caregiver burden is heavy. Too much loneliness and exhaustion from having to make so many decisions, to maintain constant vigilance, to respond to moments of crisis. Too many unhelpful "You take care of yourself" admonitions. Rumor tells caregivers they may soon die from the stress or develop dementia themselves. Beverly's been through it all. Thus the title: "Before I Lose My Mind."
This book, however, is in no way a downer, thanks to Beverly's generosity of spirit, humor and shared understanding. Also, each chapter includes excellent related reference material. The book ends not with Walt's death, but with Beverly's journey through grief into the next life stage she's now creating--positive, exciting and purpose-driven.
As people read, love and give this book to all the people they know need it, it will surely become the Gold Standard for dementia caregivers.
April 4, 2025
It was my pleasure to meet Dr. Thorn when she taught an OLLI class at the University of Alabama entitled “Dementia and Care of The Caregiver.
As the caregiver of my husband whose diagnosis is dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. I was very much interested to learn the updated information on the disease, and hopeful that I would learn how to help myself cope with the tremendous stress I was experiencing. Her lectures covered more aspects than I could ever have imagined. I was getting answers to my questions and more.
It was in this class that I learned she had written a book on the subject as well, “Before I Lose My Own Mind” to be published in May 2025. I eagerly became an early reader. Her book is unequivocally “The book the world needs now”!
It is an intimate look into her personal life as caregiver of her husband, Walt, through years of dementia until his death. You feel as though you’re walking beside them through it all. It provides so much insight, knowledge, and a myriad of resources for the reader. It truly answers caregivers cries for help in a very personal way.
This book is for everyone because in some way most people will need the knowledge whether they are actually caregivers, or acquainted with others who suffer dementia. This disease touches everyone’s life in one way or another.
Dr. Thorn also shares how she has had to learn a new lifestyle after Walt’s death.This insight will truly help many of us as our journey carries us beyond caregiver to self-care,reinventing who we are, and courage to accept the loss and change in our own lives.
Accolades to Dr. Thorn for her in-depth research which she generously passes on to those in need.
She has my deepest gratitude.
Doris La Grone-Kispert
As the caregiver of my husband whose diagnosis is dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease. I was very much interested to learn the updated information on the disease, and hopeful that I would learn how to help myself cope with the tremendous stress I was experiencing. Her lectures covered more aspects than I could ever have imagined. I was getting answers to my questions and more.
It was in this class that I learned she had written a book on the subject as well, “Before I Lose My Own Mind” to be published in May 2025. I eagerly became an early reader. Her book is unequivocally “The book the world needs now”!
It is an intimate look into her personal life as caregiver of her husband, Walt, through years of dementia until his death. You feel as though you’re walking beside them through it all. It provides so much insight, knowledge, and a myriad of resources for the reader. It truly answers caregivers cries for help in a very personal way.
This book is for everyone because in some way most people will need the knowledge whether they are actually caregivers, or acquainted with others who suffer dementia. This disease touches everyone’s life in one way or another.
Dr. Thorn also shares how she has had to learn a new lifestyle after Walt’s death.This insight will truly help many of us as our journey carries us beyond caregiver to self-care,reinventing who we are, and courage to accept the loss and change in our own lives.
Accolades to Dr. Thorn for her in-depth research which she generously passes on to those in need.
She has my deepest gratitude.
Doris La Grone-Kispert
February 4, 2025
I am blessed to have been able to call Dr. Beverly Thorn a close friend and colleague for over 50 years. In her recent book, “Before I Lose My Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver,” Bev draws upon her genuine respect, caring, and compassion for others and other similar personal qualities that I love most about her, and informed by her extensive knowledge and experience as an academic psychologist and neuroscientist, to paint a sensitive and inspiring story of her complicated role as wife and caregiver. Her book is comprised of a series of brief chapters in which Bev shares her heart-wrenching experiences as she navigated the emergence of dementia, and ultimately the death, of her beloved husband, Walt. Each chapter brings home poignant scenarios that highlight key points of inflection during Walt’s progressive decline and her emerging insights and actions to address challenges and opportunities to help build her capacity as an effective caregiver. Bev’s willingness to be open to self-examination and learning to optimize her functioning in support of Walt while simultaneously promoting her own health and well-being serves as a model for all of us. Each chapter concludes with a straight-forward synopsis of key insights and important messages for the reader, along with specific recommendations supported by well-vetted resources. Her writing style and the messaging of her narrative draws readers in, rewarding us all with her insights and actionable information. Her mission in writing this book is to help all of us prepare for the challenges of healthy aging, including especially to share her personal insights and a range of well-vetted resources for managing our own awareness and associated fears of age-related cognitive decline and for optimizing our capacity to support loved ones with dementia and similar challenges. Bev certainly succeeds. I can’t recommend this book enough.
As a caregiver for a close family member with recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease, I have now read her book twice, and I know that I am better prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you, Bev, for this extraordinary contribution and for your ongoing emotional and instrumental support.
As a caregiver for a close family member with recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease, I have now read her book twice, and I know that I am better prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you, Bev, for this extraordinary contribution and for your ongoing emotional and instrumental support.
April 22, 2025
The statistics are staggering. The stories you’ve likely heard from friends and relatives heartbreaking. The fact that almost everyone will be impacted by dementia in some form and to some degree should be a wakeup call that we will all need this book.
Before I Lose My Own Mind is a love story, tender and poignant in the unflinching honesty that Dr. Thorn shares about her life with her husband Walt before, during and after his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s dementia and her life after his death.
This book is also an insightful guide for anyone, but especially for those with the unpredictable and often frightening role of caring for a loved one with a dementia diagnosis.
For those of us without advanced degrees in neurosciences and clinical psychology, the hurdle of understanding medical jargon plus an avalanche of sometimes conflicting information is enough to cause anyone to question their ability to provide care for a loved one. The inclusion of insights and resources at the end of each chapter provides the reader with helpful tools and easy access to valuable information about the topics and situations Dr. Thorn writes about.
While this book deals with a hard subject it should also be seen as a resource for empowering the caregiver. By sharing her own vulnerabilities, Dr. Thorn lets others know that they are not alone, that their struggles and doubts are valid and that there are many excellent tools for helping to navigate the challenges that will arise. The adage that knowledge is power is true and this book provides a wealth of information, encouragement, moments of levity and a potential life ring for those of us that may find ourselves in that massive army of caregiving.
This is a book that is meant to be read and shared.
Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver
Before I Lose My Own Mind is a love story, tender and poignant in the unflinching honesty that Dr. Thorn shares about her life with her husband Walt before, during and after his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s dementia and her life after his death.
This book is also an insightful guide for anyone, but especially for those with the unpredictable and often frightening role of caring for a loved one with a dementia diagnosis.
For those of us without advanced degrees in neurosciences and clinical psychology, the hurdle of understanding medical jargon plus an avalanche of sometimes conflicting information is enough to cause anyone to question their ability to provide care for a loved one. The inclusion of insights and resources at the end of each chapter provides the reader with helpful tools and easy access to valuable information about the topics and situations Dr. Thorn writes about.
While this book deals with a hard subject it should also be seen as a resource for empowering the caregiver. By sharing her own vulnerabilities, Dr. Thorn lets others know that they are not alone, that their struggles and doubts are valid and that there are many excellent tools for helping to navigate the challenges that will arise. The adage that knowledge is power is true and this book provides a wealth of information, encouragement, moments of levity and a potential life ring for those of us that may find ourselves in that massive army of caregiving.
This is a book that is meant to be read and shared.
Before I Lose My Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver
March 27, 2025
Wonderful book concerning her voyage of personal love and loss due to dementia. Is a wealth of knowledge for all caregivers who put in untold hours and effort. You are not alone.
March 15, 2025
Dr. Thorn has broad training in psychology and was a caregiver for a spouse with dementia. Her academic training and experience did not insulate her from the difficulties of carrying out the challenging work of caring for her loved one. Her book pulls you into her particular story while offering caregivers an excellent menu of resources in every chapter for coping with their own situations. There is an intimacy in her writing that made me feel as though my best friend is sitting with me at the kitchen table over coffee sharing her life experiences. She offers personal details in her narrative that caregivers will relate to. This book is memoir but essentially a self-help guide. Her story has the authenticity the reader needs to trust her as their partner on a difficult journey. Her goal is to help caregivers not to lose their own minds. It is a supportive, kind and informative book. It’s a must-read for all who have someone near and dear to them with dementia and who need the help of a friend.
March 22, 2025
A beautiful, touching, informative story about love and loss. A testament to both Walt and his life as well as Bev! Grateful to have had the chance to read an advance copy.
May 6, 2025
Beverly Thorn’s book captivated me from the very first page!
Reading this book is like having a sincere conversation with a friend, taking a crash course in the science of aging, and reading a romance novel: all rolled into one!
The honesty and openness about the feelings and challenges of a care giver are life lessons than can apply to many situations.
The resources at the end of each chapter will prove helpful for any and all of us as we face the challenges of aging……with or without a cognitive impairment.
I cried
I laughed
I am grateful to Beverly Thorn for sharing her life experiences and the fruits of the PhD in dementia/Alzheimers which she reluctantly earned but completed with honors and kudos.
Reading this book is like having a sincere conversation with a friend, taking a crash course in the science of aging, and reading a romance novel: all rolled into one!
The honesty and openness about the feelings and challenges of a care giver are life lessons than can apply to many situations.
The resources at the end of each chapter will prove helpful for any and all of us as we face the challenges of aging……with or without a cognitive impairment.
I cried
I laughed
I am grateful to Beverly Thorn for sharing her life experiences and the fruits of the PhD in dementia/Alzheimers which she reluctantly earned but completed with honors and kudos.
January 29, 2025
Dr. Beverly Thorn has been a clinical psychologist for over 40 years. In writing Before I Lose My Own Mind, she draws upon this knowledge, but maybe more importantly, her own personal experience of caring for her husband as he suffered from dementia before his death. She does not let her education or intellect get in the way of writing a detailed, personal, real-life story with honesty and common sense in a language we can all understand. She openly shares her pain, sadness, anger, stumbles, and courage in ways that remind us all that we are human and make mistakes from time to time. And she also shares ideas that will help caregivers care for and survive the decline and eventual death of their loved one.
Her story and insights provide some hope for those struggling in similar situations. I believe this book is a must read for anyone touched by this awful disease – Alzheimer’s. It is a book we can all benefit from, young and old, caregiver, family member and friend. I know that I have friends caring for loved ones with dementia, and this book has led me to better understand the disease process and the terribly painful struggles caregivers go through.
With every chapter, she includes facts and references to scientific research as relevant. She wisely placed this material at the end of each chapter so as not to distract the reader from the emotional human story that evolves in this book. This information will allow those readers who are interested in more facts to easily find such material. I hope everyone will read this book as it will help us all be more educated, sensitive and understanding of those affected by this horrible disease.
Clayton Shealy
Clinical Psychologist
Her story and insights provide some hope for those struggling in similar situations. I believe this book is a must read for anyone touched by this awful disease – Alzheimer’s. It is a book we can all benefit from, young and old, caregiver, family member and friend. I know that I have friends caring for loved ones with dementia, and this book has led me to better understand the disease process and the terribly painful struggles caregivers go through.
With every chapter, she includes facts and references to scientific research as relevant. She wisely placed this material at the end of each chapter so as not to distract the reader from the emotional human story that evolves in this book. This information will allow those readers who are interested in more facts to easily find such material. I hope everyone will read this book as it will help us all be more educated, sensitive and understanding of those affected by this horrible disease.
Clayton Shealy
Clinical Psychologist
January 7, 2025
Before I Lose my Own Mind, the new book by Dr. Beverly Thorn, is a masterpiece, both as an honest, moving personal story and a profound exploration of perhaps the most important health challenge of our time: Alzheimer's Disease.
Dr. Thorn is an authority with five decades of expertise in psychology and neuroscience in her extensive resume. She is also a master of the art of personal narrative.This book is a gripping, often painful, and detailed story of the years she dedicated to taking care of her beloved husband Walt. No spoiler alert here--I can only assure prospective readers that Dr. Thorn tells the many episodes and stages of Walt's decline into dementia and eventual death with consistent candor and in excruciating detail. While it is one hundred percent non-fiction, it often reads like a contemporary novel.
A professor emerita of the University of Alabama, Dr. Thorn's exquisite skill in composing study guides is evident in the Facts & Insights and the Sources that she includes at the end of each chapter. Hence this amazing book is not only a painfully fascinating narrative, but a succinct and enlightening textbook as well.
I honestly hope that this book will be read by millions worldwide. It could not be more timely and significant, given the dementia pandemic that many of us will face in our own lives and/or the lives of family members and close friends.
William (Rusty) McCrady
Retired teacher and avid reader
Dr. Thorn is an authority with five decades of expertise in psychology and neuroscience in her extensive resume. She is also a master of the art of personal narrative.This book is a gripping, often painful, and detailed story of the years she dedicated to taking care of her beloved husband Walt. No spoiler alert here--I can only assure prospective readers that Dr. Thorn tells the many episodes and stages of Walt's decline into dementia and eventual death with consistent candor and in excruciating detail. While it is one hundred percent non-fiction, it often reads like a contemporary novel.
A professor emerita of the University of Alabama, Dr. Thorn's exquisite skill in composing study guides is evident in the Facts & Insights and the Sources that she includes at the end of each chapter. Hence this amazing book is not only a painfully fascinating narrative, but a succinct and enlightening textbook as well.
I honestly hope that this book will be read by millions worldwide. It could not be more timely and significant, given the dementia pandemic that many of us will face in our own lives and/or the lives of family members and close friends.
William (Rusty) McCrady
Retired teacher and avid reader
February 5, 2025
This is a must read! This book is an excellent resource for families, caregivers and friends of people with dementia. Even if you aren’t directly impacted by this disease, no doubt you know someone that has been impacted. The resources and insights are a valuable tool. Dr. Thorn has generously relived her experience by writing this book without holding anything back. It is written with humor and clearly much love while showing the reader the incredibly difficult road that this disease can take you on.
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July 25, 2025Book Updates from the Author:
We’ve reached the 60-day post-release mark for my new book, Before I Lose My Own Mind, Girl Friday Books (GFB). I want to share the very good news that the book has reached over 1,000 people so far! Amazon ranks the book #5 in Eldercare, #9 in Alzheimer’s Disease, and #18 in Aging Parents. (These stats change daily with sales.)
In other great news, my book will be coming out in audio on October 28. I won’t be the narrator since I’m busy with other book things and life, but I think GFB and I picked a terrific person!
If you’ve read the book and found it useful, please pass it along to someone you know who might benefit from it. I bet you won’t have trouble thinking of someone who needs it. My goal is to help ease the path for caregivers during this unplanned and consuming task.
You can find a running list of my events on my website: https://drbeverlythorn.com. On the website, you can also find all of the electronic caregiver resources from my book, organized by section and chapter, and other resources, such as relaxation/meditation audios I’ve recorded. All free.
I love giving virtual and in-person talks – keep me in mind!
Peace, Bev Thorn
We’ve reached the 60-day post-release mark for my new book, Before I Lose My Own Mind, Girl Friday Books (GFB). I want to share the very good news that the book has reached over 1,000 people so far! Amazon ranks the book #5 in Eldercare, #9 in Alzheimer’s Disease, and #18 in Aging Parents. (These stats change daily with sales.)
In other great news, my book will be coming out in audio on October 28. I won’t be the narrator since I’m busy with other book things and life, but I think GFB and I picked a terrific person!
If you’ve read the book and found it useful, please pass it along to someone you know who might benefit from it. I bet you won’t have trouble thinking of someone who needs it. My goal is to help ease the path for caregivers during this unplanned and consuming task.
You can find a running list of my events on my website: https://drbeverlythorn.com. On the website, you can also find all of the electronic caregiver resources from my book, organized by section and chapter, and other resources, such as relaxation/meditation audios I’ve recorded. All free.
I love giving virtual and in-person talks – keep me in mind!
Peace, Bev Thorn
May 1, 2025
In Before I Lose my Own Mind: Navigating Life as a Dementia Caregiver, Dr. Beverly Thorn eloquently describes the slow and painful process of watching a loved one, in this case her dear husband, descend into the slow and painful ravages of dementia. Dr. Thorn presents a very personal, open, and honest discussion of the many challenges of caring for one who is slowly and painfully declining. She takes the reader along on her personal journey including the brief moments of joy, the exhaustion, and the ultimate relinquishing of control over the disease in a manner that is readily understood by both clinical and non-clinical readers. Her many years of experience as a health psychologist and psychology professor is reflected in her writing with the inclusion of summaries of important facts and lists of pertinent resources at the end of each chapter, providing tremendous guidance for readers navigating their own storm. While this book is a must read for caregivers walking this painful road, it is also important resource for those who feel powerless in their ability to support others in the caregiving role or individuals living with dementia.
May 9, 2025
In courageously opening the door and inviting people in to relive her day-to-day odyssey with her husband's illness, Dr. Beverly Thorn has provided an outstanding resource for anyone who is, or who has a friend or family member who is, caring for a loved one with or without dementia issues. With her matter-of-fact style, Dr. Thorn takes the reader on the emotional roller-coaster ride that is the caregiver's life. Part and parcel of that journey are a plethora of positive, negative, and ambivalent feelings the caregiver might have toward the patient and toward those around him or her. She reassures the reader that these feelings are perfectly natural and normal and do not make one a bad person for having and expressing them. Particularly important and helpful were the boxes at the end of each chapter giving Facts & Insights and Resources related to the chapter. I wish I'd had a book like this 50 years ago when I was tending my grandmother in her only, and what proved to be her final, illness.
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May 16, 2025Dr. Thorn's ability to communicate the very painful and personal story of her husband Walt's diagnosis and subsequent progression with Alzheimer's Disease is an emotional walk through these stressful years. At times struggling to maintain a handle on day to day existence, compassion and love for her husband is very evident even when she finds herself at wits end. In navigating the unchartered waters and seeking shelters or anchors, she has collected sources which will be helpful to those finding themselves or those they love among the increasing number of individuals facing the challenges of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's. This story of a devoted couple enduring and loving to the end is inspirational. The survival is not able to be comprehended until experienced but there is strength to be found and life to be lived even after such a tremendous loss as the death of a loved one. Thank you Dr. Thorn for sharing your experience and knowledge so openly.
Becky Pechak
Becky Pechak
April 22, 2025
This is a wonderful book, truly a blessing for anyone who is dealing with a loved one or friend who has Alzheimer's disease. My husband died of Alzheimer's and I found this book to be a life line. Incredibly beautifully written, invaluable information that is well organized and researched. Best of all, this book let me know that I was not alone on our journey. Beverly Thorn is a beautiful writer who writes with vulnerability, insight, and experience. This book should be at the top of the list for any caregiver!
January 13, 2025
Compassion, honesty, and a touch of humor adds to this excellent source of resources for caretakers dealing with a loved one with dementia. Of course, each dementia situation is unique with its own set of variables, but let Dr. Thorn’s hindsight be your foresight and guidance for care of your loved one or for your own future as well.
November 12, 2025
An excellent resource for anyone giving care for someone with dementia, as well as family and friends of a caregiver. The author "tells it like it is". I especially appreciate all the resource materials.
January 6, 2025
"Before I Lose My Own Mind is the guide every caregiver needs as they navigate caring for a loved one with dementia. What sets this book apart from others on the enormous challenges of caregiving is Dr. Thorn’s practical advice, which is real and raw and sensitive to the nuances of what you are dealing with daily as a caregiver. She writes with insight, compassion and levity as she reminds you of exactly what you need to remember in the midst of the chaos, which helps you cope for that moment, that day, that week, that year. Dr. Thorn validates the gamut of emotions that we feel as caregivers–but don’t always want to admit–which is both a relief and a comfort. This book provides the support, and the hope dementia caregivers need as they face the ever-changing situation of caring for someone with dementia."
June 24, 2025
very helpful information
Not only does she have the education to address this situation, but she has first hand experience with it. Her insights are helpful, and I love how she offers helpful resources to explore further. I shall hang on to this resource as my own journey with my husband's dementia begins. I am not looking forward to it, but at least I'll have somewhere to turn for help along the way. I am sorry she had to go through this , but am grateful that she shared it with all of us. Thank you Beverly!
Not only does she have the education to address this situation, but she has first hand experience with it. Her insights are helpful, and I love how she offers helpful resources to explore further. I shall hang on to this resource as my own journey with my husband's dementia begins. I am not looking forward to it, but at least I'll have somewhere to turn for help along the way. I am sorry she had to go through this , but am grateful that she shared it with all of us. Thank you Beverly!
April 10, 2025
This book should be in the hands of families everywhere who have a loved one that has received a dementia diagnosis. Dr. Thorn explains her own personal experience with this disease. She offers practical guidance and information throughout the book. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is very well written.
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January 5, 2025Beverly Thorn has adeptly written a deeply personal account of her life as a caregiver to her husband Walt as they traverse the long, loving, heartbreaking road of life with dementia. She uses her experience as a psychologist and her stubbornness as a wife to give Walt the very best she can offer, while trying to stay sane herself. She details what worked for them, and what, frustratingly, did not work. Every aspect of care is explained, and the references are invaluable to caregivers. This cannot have been an easy story to tell. Walt was an academician in life, and now, due to Beverly's dedication in writing this touching account, Walt continues, even now, to instruct us and future generations in the art of living (and dying) well.
October 24, 2025
powerful!
This book is powerful, heartbreaking, and inspiring on so many levels. I’m caring for both my parents right now, ages 89 and 81. I’m blessed that neither of them have dementia, but I could still relate to much in this book as a caretaker.
This book is powerful, heartbreaking, and inspiring on so many levels. I’m caring for both my parents right now, ages 89 and 81. I’m blessed that neither of them have dementia, but I could still relate to much in this book as a caretaker.
November 4, 2025
Insightful, from the heart. Very well written and researched with excellent resources sited. Personally, it spoke to me as a caregiver myself.
June 17, 2025
I highly recommend this to anyone who is a caregiver to someone with dementia or even someone whose loved one has dementia. It was written with love and honesty. So nice to know we are all in it together.
January 15, 2025
This book was absolutely wonderful and I recommend it to anyone going through a process such as this. It was very eye opening to be told from the caretakers point of view, which I feel like we do not get to see very often. It is an essential, compassionate guide for anyone caring for a loved one with dementia. The book’s combination of strategies, emotional insight, and guidance makes it an amazing resource. Dr. Thorn’s book comes with an honest approach, as well as tools to help caregivers manage stress and challenges. By offering solutions and empathetic understanding, she provides not only a guide but a lifeline for those who are walking this difficult path. She also addresses the emotional and psychological challenges of caregiving, including stress, burnout, and the grief that often accompanies watching a loved one’s decline. Throughout the book, Dr. Thorn emphasizes the importance of self-care, providing caregivers with concrete strategies to maintain their mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
January 5, 2025
Dr. Thorne’s recent book on being a dementia caregiver for her spouse (Walt) should be a must read for those who are living with and caring for dementia afflicted loved ones. Dr. Thorne has provided much needed advice to those who, by default, are providing compassionate care motivated by love for their spouse. Dr. Thorne documents the long and extremely tiring and arduous journey to provide care to her husband and deals with the feelings of guilt of am I doing enough? Her advice on end of life preparations should be a task that all couples undertake prior to losing their cognitive thinking skills. Dr Thorne’s book ”Before I lose my own mind” is appropriately titled as it may prevent/reduce enormous stress resulting in health problems for the dementia caregiver.
December 12, 2024
I think this book is an essential read for anyone aging. And who isn't?
The personal story is beautifully written, the list of resources at the end of each chapter extremely helpful.
The personal story is beautifully written, the list of resources at the end of each chapter extremely helpful.
May 5, 2025
As I read Dr. Thorn’s book, I was able to see her candid points for information and important strategies that provide help for the caregiver. Her research is very valuable and the recommendations she shares are practical and instrumental when dealing with a loved one who is impacted by dementia.
Her spirit of humor and realistic thoughts are genuine and represent a sense of vulnerability that all need to read. Her book is a source of effective knowledge she has lived and felt so important that she wanted to honor her late husband, Walt by sharing their journey with dementia.
Dr. Thorn is honest and true in her book. As I started reading, I sensed an element of rawness but love and hope were on the heels of that rawness. I recommend this book for anyone, but specifically for people who may be walking this path or for insight into a caregiver’s story. Please put this book at the top of your must-read list!
Her spirit of humor and realistic thoughts are genuine and represent a sense of vulnerability that all need to read. Her book is a source of effective knowledge she has lived and felt so important that she wanted to honor her late husband, Walt by sharing their journey with dementia.
Dr. Thorn is honest and true in her book. As I started reading, I sensed an element of rawness but love and hope were on the heels of that rawness. I recommend this book for anyone, but specifically for people who may be walking this path or for insight into a caregiver’s story. Please put this book at the top of your must-read list!
February 18, 2025
I read Dr. Thorn’s book and was startled by how incredibly personal it was, from beginning to end. You rarely find a book where one’s personal experience can turn into a valuable guideline and source of sanity for others. I know someone who is going through the stages Dr. Thorn went through with Walt, at possibly a faster pace. She read this book and it’s already helped her to feel she’s not the only one on earth to feel hopelessness, sadness at loss of a loved one in mind but not yet body, and also anger and resentment, and – still – love. This will be an invaluable resource and source of strength and hopefulness for so many people going through this life-changing experience.
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