Man diagnosed with dementia aged 49 issues plea after spotting small sign of disease

A man who was diagnosed with dementia at just 49 years old issued a heartbreaking plea as he opened up about his condition.

While people might be thinking about retirement in their late 40s, Peter Alexander was instead grappling with a life-changing diagnosis.

After first noticing a subtle change in his work ethic, Peter, who lives in Northern Ireland with his wife Jill, made an appointment with a neurologist and was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - which is the same condition celebrities Bruce Willis and Wendy Williams have been diagnosed with, too.

Peter told BBC News: "I remember the date very clearly, it was 14 January 2018 when the results came back and the doctor said: 'Peter, I have diagnosed you with having frontotemporal dementia'.

Peter Alexander issued an emotional plea after being diagnosed with dementia (Peter Alexander)

"I was basically told that it was no longer safe for me to work because I have diminished judgment and I was losing my filter, so it was a lot to adapt to."

Peter had initially struggled to meet deadlines at work - something he'd never experienced before. But he said that there's more to dementia than 'forgetting about things' and it can 'manifest in different ways.'

"Sadly for many people, the diagnosis can take an awful long time and that puts an enormous amount of pressure on the family unit," he said.

Seven years on from his own diagnosis, Peter issued a desperate plea about the often harmful stigma surrounding the condition, saying: "When it comes to people like me with dementia, please don't write us off, we have a voice, dementia doesn't define us."

He added that he doesn't want to be treated any differently, and that it's 'imperative that people actually see the person, see beyond the condition'.

Dementia is complex and can manifest in different ways (Teera Konakan/Getty Images)

"Sadly for many people, the diagnosis can take an awful long time and that puts an enormous amount of pressure on the family unit." Peter continued.

He insisted that inside he has not changed, adding: "I might not always be able to express it in the same way, but I'm still the same person I was, inside I'm still Peter."

What is frontotemporal dementia?

The Mayo Clinic explains that frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is 'an umbrella term for a group of brain diseases that mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain'.

These areas of the brain are associated with 'personality, behavior and language'.

"In frontotemporal dementia, parts of these lobes shrink, known as atrophy," the outlet explains. "Symptoms depend on which part of the brain is affected. Some people with frontotemporal dementia have changes in their personalities.

"They become socially inappropriate and may be impulsive or emotionally indifferent. Others lose the ability to properly use language."