British TV presenter Fiona Phillips, known for hosting GMTV, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2022. At first, she thought her symptoms were hormonal. “The anxiety attacks became more frequent until they were almost hourly,” she recalled. Although menopause seemed the cause, she later noticed “brain fog and a sense of anxiety that I could rarely shake off,” without typical signs like hot flushes.

Even everyday tasks became overwhelming. “The simplest thing, like going to the bank… would send me into a total panic,” she said. Mood swings and confusion followed, leading her to feel powerless: “I felt I’d lost control over my life.” She opens up about this journey in her memoir Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer’s.

According to the NHS, early Alzheimer’s symptoms include mild memory loss, misplacing items, repeating questions, trouble with words, and increased anxiety or agitation.

In the middle stage, people may forget loved ones, act impulsively, or develop paranoia. The late stage involves severe memory loss, hallucinations, speech decline, and loss of mobility—requiring full-time care.