Some Alzheimer's patients reported that they would become irritated and discouraged when they would think about their memory loss, but then attempt to cope with their negative emotions by using practical coping methods in order to counteract their cognitive changes. 

Alzheimer's patients' oscillation between feelings of loss and feelings of rehabilitation

When a person oscillates between different states of grief. 

University of Illinois at Chicago

- Meaning-making coping model
- Emotion-focused coping
- Problem-focused coping 
- Transactional model of stress and coping 
- Dual process model of loss 


Coping Models/Strategies

Lee, S. M., Roen, K., & Thornton, A. (2014). The psychological impact of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia, 13(3), 289-305.

The psychological impact of a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

When people experience painful or stressful situations, they attempt to cope by reinterpreting what's happening and search for a new positive understanding. A person will have to reassess their expectations in order to adjust to new situations.

Meaning-making coping model 

A model that proposes that one's ability to deal with and adapt to issues/stressors is a result of the coping strategies that were used. 

Transactional model of stress and coping 

Dual process model of loss

A style of coping that involves the management of emotional distress. These coping styles tend to be unhealthy, but there are some examples, like turning to religion, that are healthy in situations in which one has no control.

Emotion-focused coping

Problem-focused coping is a strategy that involves actively trying to alter or manage the source of stress. This approach is similar to everyday problem-solving and is most likely to be employed when individuals perceive the stressor as controllable.

Problem-Focused Coping and Controllable Stressors

Emotion-focused coping consists of efforts to reduce or manage the negative emotional responses associated with stress, rather than changing the stressor itself. This approach is more likely to be used when individuals believe they are powerless to change the stressful situation, making it particularly effective for dealing with uncontrollable stressors.

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