Ep 12 The Experience of Being Forgotten ~ Indigo Melrose

DIVE INTO STUART’S MIND…Today, we’re changing things up a bit and hearing more from Indigo. As well as being a psychotherapist and the host of THERAPEÍA, Indigo is also a dementia expert who has worked with clients supporting and caring for loved ones with dementia. Her experience in this space led to Indigo undertaking a research project documenting the experience of being forgotten. Join us as Indigo shares her findings around this important but elusive and rarely discussed topic.IN TODAY’S EPISODE, WE CHAT ABOUT… What drew Indigo to this topic and why it’s close to her heart (4:29)Why grief around dementia and the experience of being forgotten is rarely discussed (7:00)How we can support people to grieve when a loved one has dementia (9:20)An exercise to help people access and understand the experience of being forgotten (11:20)Assumptions Indigo had about the experience of being forgotten and how these were challenged as she dove deeper into the topic (13:25)How the experience of being forgotten by a loved one impacts relationships (16:40)Why the experience of being forgotten by a loved one is often overlooked even by the people experiencing it (21:03)Why it’s important to learn to reframe who you are in a relationship when a loved one has dementia (22:39)How being forgotten by a loved one impacts our sense of identity and how we can still maintain a relationship and connection with someone who has dementia (24:33)How we can create something new amidst grief and loss (28:29)The words and images people use to describe the experience of being forgotten (32:00)Finding gold in the experience of being forgotten (37:00)What it means to be remembered and the importance of asking how we want to be remembered (42:00)And so much more!EPISODE RESOURCESCarer Gateway - Connecting carers to support services: More information follow this link Dementia Australia - you are not alone: More information follow this link Still Alice by Lisa GenovaCONTACT INDIGOhttps://www.indigomelrose.com THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!If you enjoyed this episode of  THERAPEÍA we would be so grateful if you could take the time to share this episode or leave us a 5-star review.Questions? Comments? We’d love to connect with you! Follow us on Instagram @therapeia_podcast or send us an email  [email protected]