Lauren Dykovitrz on Early-Onset Alzheimer’s, Caregiver Guilt, and Learning to Accept the Journey

This week on Mind What Matters, Liz Humphreys reaches into the archives to revisit a conversation that still feels as relevant and raw as the day it was recorded.

Liz sits down with author and caregiver Lauren Dykovitrz to talk about early-onset Alzheimer’s, the shock of diagnosis in your 20s, and the complicated emotional terrain that follows. Lauren was just 25 when her mother was diagnosed, and she shares what it felt like to face a disease that offered no clear next steps. No surgery to schedule, no treatment to start, just the heavy realization that life would never look the same again.

Together, they talk about misdiagnosis, denial within families, embarrassment and isolation in the early years, and the immense guilt caregivers carry, even when they are doing everything they possibly can. Lauren opens up about becoming her mother’s caregiver, reaching burnout, hiring outside help, and the painful but necessary shift from trying to fix the disease to learning to meet her mom where she was.

They also explore the grief that exists long before a loved one passes away and the second wave of grief that comes after.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and deeply relatable for anyone navigating Alzheimer’s, dementia, or long-term caregiving. If you’ve ever felt lost, impatient, ashamed, or unsure whether you’re “doing enough,” this episode reminds you that you’re not alone.

Learn more about Lauren and her work here.

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Mind What Matters is produced by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.