Featured Image Credit: YouTube / I (don't) have dementia
For many, the fear of death keeps them up at night. Still, whereas dying is an inevitability, what leads to our eventual demise is often what spurs on most people's fears.
Scientists are making major moves in their hopes of curing cancer, but in an equally harrowing corner of diagnosis, Alzheimer's and dementia can be just as debilitating. While some remain convinced that a cure for Alzheimer's disease, as the most common form of dementia, is coming, it's currently affecting around seven million Americans. This statistic is expected to climb to 13 million people by the year 2050, proving that it's not just celebrities like Wendy Williams, Bruce Willis, and Robin Williams who are afflicted by dementia.
We've previously covered the YouTube creator who's been open about his Young-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis, but in his latest video, Fraser has an unexpected update.
Speaking on his channel, the father has never held back on what it's like to be diagnosed with the neurological disorder.
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Explaining how he suffered with symptoms around two and a half years before he was diagnosed in 2024, Fraser referred to "some pretty big memory flaws" like not being able to remember a movie he'd watched just days before.
Undergoing cognitive testing and blood work, this was followed by brain tests, an MRI, and a PET scan. In his latest video, it seems Fraser is living up to the new "I (don't) have dementia" name of his channel, revealing that he's apparently been wrongly diagnosed.
In a video that's been viewed nearly 8,000 times, Fraser expanded on how he'd attended a recent appointment where doctors were surprised to see that his cognitive decline didn't track with what they'd expect from someone suffering from Alzheimer's.
After being referred to another team, Fraser underwent more thorough tests and was shocked to learn that he was apparently in normal ranges and wasn't showing signs of Young-onset Alzheimer's.
Reacting to the news, Fraser says he spent an "hour or maybe half an hour just crying in relief."
He claims the incorrect diagnosis came from mental health issues, with anxiety and a "perfectionism sort of personality" that might've exhibited dementia symptoms. An anxious brain reportedly has trouble filing memories, which led doctors to believe that Fraser was showing signs of Young-onset Alzheimer's.
Admitting he's suffered from panic attacks and bowel issues, these are said to be responsible for manifesting as the incorrect diagnosis.
As for his diagnosis, Fraser added: "I'm not a doctor. I'm not sure if what they did was right or wrong...But the way I've always sort of seen it is that they had three lines of evidence."
Saying that his PET scan, neuropsych testing, and patient-reported experiences all showed Alzheimer's, he continued: "I am not critical of their diagnosis in any way."
After concluding that he thinks it's "a really difficult space that the health professionals are working in," Fraser admitted he likely won't return to the channel.
Responding to his news, one shocked viewer said: "This is a crazy misdiagnosis. Definitely go see a psychiatrist. I get that mental health issues can cause this type of memory issues, but this was at such an extreme level for you to get the diagnosis and have it for like a year +.
"That’s super alarming. Hopefully there’s some meds that will even things out for you. Wishing you all the best!"
Another added: "I don't know whether to be shocked that professionals could misdiagnose anxiety for dementia, or amazed that anxiety could have such an impact on memory."
A third thanked him for the insightful videos and rounded off saying: "Well Frasier, if this is goodbye, then thank you for the videos. I couldn't be more pleased for you. Please consider doing another channel where you sit in nature and read books aloud or something, you have a talent for this."
