Module 3 Lesson 3. Thinking differently Unhelpful thoughts can make you feel bad Maya has been caring for her family member who is living with dementia for several years now. She has many thoughts. Some make her feel worse, some make her feel better. Check your understandingThoughts that can make you feel better. Can you indicate which of Maya’s thoughts may help make her feel better? Maya might think… Dementia is a disease, it is not my or anyone else’s fault.Asking others for help can help me to share the duties of care.No one can provide the care the way I do.No one understands how hard it is to care.Maybe the person living with dementia will get better.I am a bad carer if my family member is not always happy.Making time for myself helps me to provide better care.Check Dementia is a disease, it is not my or anyone else’s fault. This thought is helpful and might prevent feelings of guilt. Asking others for help can help me to share care duties. This is a helpful thought that may make Maya feel more in control. Involving other people in caregiving has lots of potential benefits. For instance, the carer will be able to take breaks more regularly and provide care for a longer time. No one can provide care the way I do. This thought could make Maya feel lonely, isolated and under a lot of pressure. Although others may provide care in a different way, that does not mean that it is always of a lower standard. It is important to involve others in caring for a person living with dementia, to avoid getting overwhelmed. No one understands how hard it is to care. This thought may make Maya feel upset, isolated and lonely. There might be people who do not understand how hard it is to care. However, talking to other people may help them better understand what dementia is and help you to take some pressure off. Maybe the person living with dementia will get better. This thought may make Maya feel disappointed as people with dementia continue to decline. There are many diseases that cause dementia. Unfortunately, there is no cure for any of these diseases yet. I am a bad carer if my family member is not always happy. This thought will make Maya feel unhappy and sad. The mood of the person living with dementia does not depend solely on the carer. For example, mood can also be related to dementia, depression, functional ability or personality. Making time for myself helps me to provide better care. This is a helpful thought. No one should feel guilty when taking time for themselves. It might help the carer to continue providing care in the long term. Error: Please select at least one option.Please click ‘check’ to view the answers before continuing.Error: Please type your answers in the text box. Keep in Mind Unhelpful thoughts can make you feel bad. Helpful thoughts are important to feel better and will assist you in dealing with situations in a more useful way. To feel better, it is important to identify unhelpful thoughts.