Based on research alone, I am convinced that my father has FTD. He exhibits a lot of the signs - especially profound aggressiveness and hostility and hypersexualization. I am just wondering how one actually goes about getting diagnosed? Is it with an MRI? Is it an in-person psych evaluation?
I’m majoring in psychology and came across the topic of FTD. I realized quickly that this may be something that is developing in my dad. My dad (late 50s) has been a moderate-heavy drinker his whole life and it’s a big reason why my mom is divorcing him right now. I lived in another state for two years but ever since moving back, and the process of the divorce, his personality has shifted quickly and drastically. My mom has told me how he has no empathy and wasn‘t sad over her leaving. He didn’t fight for her and let her walk away. He has also blamed her, denied having a drinking problem, and lied to friends/family that she’s having mental issues. My dad acts like everything is fine and tries to gaslight and manipulate me into agreeing with his point of view. he downplays everything. These things are alarming but not the main personality changes. He has been egregiously spending and my mom said he spend 1500 $ in one dinner!? He gave 1000$ away to a ”friend“ for a broken arm and invited her to live with him?(which she declined and they aren’t close friends or even romantic) he also lets his friends steal from his home in which he has parties in. He stays out til 5 AM at bars like he’s 20 every weekend. He also shops a lot, and is planning a very expensive vacation despite being in the middle of a divorce. He has allowed his home to become a mess, he lets the pets poop and pee everywhere and refuses to clean, he also fired the cleaning lady and hasn’t gotten a new one. every once in a while I go there to get something or just visit the old family home but it smells disgusting and has become a mess. His drinking has gotten increasingly worse and has started to day drink(witnessed when we got lunch). The worst of it all is that he is posting HALF NAKED PICS ON TWITTER and is romantically invested in a 30 yo married women with an infant who has been seen at his house. He denies still seeing her. He also refuses to pay back his sister thousands of dollars despite the fact he is fully capable of doing so. The morally worst out of character thing is that he stopped paying my mom’s mom’s phone bill even though she is poor and has dementia and fired my mom’s brother even though he is also poor is in a terrible situation, cant get work due to being an ex con(was falsely imprisoned) and has a very young child. He is not fit and is overweight, has high blood pressure, and has other genetic issues that run in the family like diabetes. My dad used to be very caring and his morals were centered around family he would never refuse to pay my aunt, stop helping my moms family, and post himself on Twitter. the other things could be explained by a midlife crisis or the divorce but this is something that now I’m putting together is greatly concerning me. please let me know if you have a parent with this disorder, does this sound familiar? alcohol already increases chances of this or progresses it. There are other situations where he has lacked empathy greatly and showed no concern for something he would be disgusted by years ago specifically in relation to his own kids as he was a good dad. If this does sound like what I think it is how do i go forward? He refuses to admit having any problems and thinks he is healthy, he even says that he’s an “outlier” because his yearly checkup results say he’s fine despite his unhealthy lifestyle, but I think he’s lying. let me know your thoughts, similarities with your parents, or advice.