Alice and the members of her support group, Mary, Cathy, and Dan, all discuss how their reputations suffered prior to their diagnoses because people thought they were being difficult or possibly had substance abuse problems. Is preserving their legacies one of the biggest obstacles to people suffering from Alzheimer's disease?
I think this question is a matter of opinion. I've known people with Alzheimers who've retreated from attending social gatherings because they want to preserve their identities..... they want to be remembered for who they are and what they've accomplished, rather than be remembered for what they become after the onset of the disease. On the other hand, I've never considered a person's reputation to be hampered by condition. Yes, if it's kept a secret, a lot of people might be walking around scratching their heads.... their accomplishments, however, do not suddenly disappear.
