A catastrophic reaction can take many carers of people with dementia by surprise.
A catastrophic reaction is when an individual with dementia experiences a sudden or excessive change in mood or behaviour.
What is a catastrophic reaction?
“Catastrophic reactions are emotional outbursts, sometimes accompanied by physical acting-out behaviour, that seem inappropriate or out of proportion to the situation. The reaction may be triggered by a present event or by one from the distant past” (Santo Pietro M J. & Ostuni E. 1997, p.272)
Often these inappropriate emotional outbursts are associated with the person's inability to cope with real or imagined events.
Signs of a catastrophic reaction
- For people living with dementia, changes in the damaged brain can affect an individual's emotional response to events.
- Stress, fatigue or illness can overwhelm the brain and trigger a catastrophic reaction.
- Sometimes a number of small frustrations during the day lead to an emotional reaction to something seemingly small.
- Overwhelmed and unable to comprehend a situation, a person experiencing a catastrophic reaction may:
- Have a sudden outburst of screaming or laughter
- Pace up and down in an agitated manner, fidget or wring their hands
- Become fearful or overly anxious
- Refuse to cooperate
- Experience a swift change in mood eg stubbornness, anger
Managing a catastrophic reaction
During these moments caregivers can best manage the situation by remaining calm and reassuring the person with dementia. Trying to explain or even arguing with a person having a catastrophic reaction may make the situation worse.
What you can do:
- Don't argue or try to persuade a person to see your point of view
- Reassure a person in a calm voice
- Avoid too complicated tasks
- Don't recall distressing events
- Use validation techniques e.g. "I can see you are upset, let's see if we can find your mum"
- Avoid physical restraint
- Don't make sudden or unnecessary changes to routine, carers or the environment
- Avoid known triggers e.g. loud music, recalling a family member's name.
Bendigo Health- Lodon Mallee Regional Dementia Management Strategy
- Catastrophic reactions
Accessed 22/7/12 with deep appreciation of their understanding of this almost hidden symptom of dementia.