The Last Hippie By Oliver Sacks

In class, we read Oliver Sacks’ An Anthropologist on Mars. In section titled “The Last Hippie,” Sacks writes about man suffering from anterograde amnesia. This cause the man to not be able to make new memories (Sacks). Though the cause in his memory loss is from a severe brain tumor, there are many similarities to the very common ailment known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is an extremely debilitating disease that affects an overwhelming amount of people worldwide. Although it the disease so wide spread, the specifics of Alzheimer’s is seemingly not in the public consciousness. In order to have a better understanding of this horrific disease, this essay will discuss the specifics of Alzheimer’s, including what it actually is, what causes it, and how it effects the population.
Alzheimer’s disease was first postulated by the Bavarian psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer in 1906, however very little was known about the illness (Selkoe). Today, it is well documented that Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of the mental disorder known as dementia. Furthermore, dementia affects an estimated 25 million people in the world (Dalvi). The National Institute of Aging, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines Alzheimer’s disease as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.” Alzheimer’s disease, like most diseases, has levels of severity and get worse of the course of time. In early or “mild” stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the person might start exhibiting issues that could include “wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking...

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...t Alzheimer’s has on the populations of people in the world, including the widespread economic issues, concerns over public health, and, of course, the personal effects it has on the people with the disease and their caretakers.
Alzheimer’s disease is a horrific disease that slowly can damage all the normal functions of the human mind; functions like memory, language, and movement that we all take for granted. Alzheimer’s disease is rarely discussed in the public forum, because of the nature of the disease. This essay aimed to breakdown the fundamentals of the disease so that one would know what the disease truly is, what causes this disease, and what the effects of the disease are. Alzheimer’s disease deserves to known about and talk about so that future generations will not have to see the awful effects this disease has. We most definitely are on the right track.