A man who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia has revealed a warning sign that happens pretty often.
Fraser, a 41-year-old Australian teacher and researcher, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, a condition most commonly linked to older adults, per GB News.
But in rare cases, like his, it strikes younger people too.
Fraser is now spending his time creating YouTube videos, with one featuring 21 raw, candid observations about life with dementia before the age of 65.
His journey began in his late 30s, during a low-stress lifestyle shift from suburban living to rural tranquility.
“I sort of put everything down to being stressed initially, and then I moved from suburbia down to the countryside. Lifestyle and everything got a lot better," he said.
But relief wasn’t coming, despite the improved environment: “After a while, I noticed that my stress and anxiety had gone, the issues that I was experiencing with my memory were still present.”
One terrifying moment was when Fraser genuinely thought his daughter had disappeared.
He later discovered she had gone to the cinema - something she’d plainly told him many times before.
That moment, and many like it, pushed Fraser to seek answers.
What followed was a diagnosis that shattered every expectation of what dementia “should” look like.
In a deeply moving video, Fraser lays out 21 raw observations about life with the disease - details that go far beyond forgetting names or misplacing keys.
He explains that language is one of the first things to be affected. “Most evenings you will have difficulty speaking,” he shared, noting how even basic communication can become a struggle by the end of the day.
It’s not just about memory loss. Dementia, Fraser says, warps your personality.
He’s noticed himself becoming more selfish, less reliable, and increasingly anxious. “You will get anxious and depressed and need help getting through it.
But, reducing stress will have a bigger impact than you think,” he said. Research backs him up - stress has been linked to a 24% higher risk of developing dementia.
Experts aren’t sure exactly why, but it may be tied to stress triggering depression, itself a potential warning sign of cognitive decline.
Fraser describes days when his brain feels like it’s in a haze. “A fog just comes over your brain and you just can't really focus on things very well, and you're in a haze,” he said.
He also shared how mundane tasks - like turning off the shower or planning his day - have become complicated. And while you might expect a diagnosis like this to spark spiritual reflection, Fraser’s experience was the opposite.
“You will not turn to God or spend your days thinking about the meaning of life,” he wrote, adding that he doesn’t think about death and isn’t afraid of it either.
Instead, Fraser is focused on the here and now - spending more time with loved ones and taking trips when he can.
His diagnosis has forced him to slow down and re-prioritize what matters most. “Some months you will have less foggy days and you will learn new things easier than you thought.
"You will be certain you have it and certain you do not have it,” he noted, capturing the strange duality of certainty and doubt that can accompany a long diagnostic journey.
Experts agree that diagnosing early-onset dementia can be tricky. “The misunderstanding that dementia is a disease of older adults leaves people with young-onset dementia fighting to be heard,” said Molly Murray from the University of West Scotland, per the Daily Mail.
She also pointed out that rarer types of dementia can present with atypical symptoms, which often get missed, further delaying diagnosis.