People are being put off visiting their doctor with symptoms of dementia as they fear their "lives will be over" once they are diagnosed, new research has suggested.
A poll of 1,000 GPs by the Alzheimer's Society found that more than half (56%) of them had diagnosed people who had suffered with symptoms of dementia for months or even years.
A separate poll of 2,000 people found that almost two thirds (62%) said a dementia diagnosis would mean their life was over.
In response to the poll, released to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week, health experts want to reassure the public "that life doesn't end when dementia begins".
Open Image Modal
Hemera Technologies via Getty Images
In a survey of 2,000 people, one quarter (24%) said they thought a dementia diagnosis would mean having to stop going for a walk on their own.
Meanwhile 45% believed they would be immediately forced to give up driving.
Almost half (49%) said they would worry that people would think they were "mad", while 22% feared losing a partner or friends.
More than a third (37%) said they would put off seeing a GP about memory problems because they think dementia is just "part of the ageing process".
"Many feel that a dementia diagnosis means someone is immediately incapable of living a normal life, while myths and misunderstandings continue to contribute to the stigma and isolation that many people will feel.
"This Dementia Awareness Week, we want to reassure people that life doesn't end when dementia begins."
He continued: "We know that dementia is the most feared health condition of our time and there's no question that it can have a profound and devastating impact on people, their family and friends - but getting a timely diagnosis will enable people with dementia to live as well as possible."
It is estimated that 225,000 people will develop dementia this year, which equates to one person every three minutes.
Joy Watson, 57, from Eccles, was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2014 after being told her symptoms amounted to depression.
She said she struggled with symptoms for six years before being diagnosed.
"When my GP finally told me I had Alzheimer's, after six years of battling with symptoms and not knowing what the cause was, I felt huge relief," she recalled.
"For so long, I didn't know or understand what was wrong. All I needed was a diagnosis to be able to move forward with my life - and now I can."
Early Symptoms of Dementia
No Initiative (01 of10)
Open Image Modal
At times everyone can become tired of housework, business activities, or social obligations. However a person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies. (credit:John Rensten via Getty Images)
Changes in Personality (02 of10)
Open Image Modal
A person with dementia may seem different from his or her usual self in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic or anxious and agitated especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties. (credit:fStop Images - Carl Smith via Getty Images)
Mood Changes(03 of10)
Open Image Modal
Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously. (credit:Mike Chick via Getty Images)
Misplace Things (04 of10)
Open Image Modal
Anyone can temporarily misplace his or her wallet or keys. A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. (credit:Oli Kellett via Getty Images)
Problems With Keeping Track of Things (05 of10)
Open Image Modal
A person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation or keep up with paying their bills. (credit:Chris Red via Getty Images)
Increasingly poor Judgement(06 of10)
Open Image Modal
People with dementia may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothes on a warm day or very few on a cold day. (credit:Jessica Peterson via Getty Images)
Distortion of Time and Place (07 of10)
Open Image Modal
We sometimes forget the day of the week or where we are going but people with dementia can become lost in familiar places such as the road they live in, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Problems With Language(08 of10)
Open Image Modal
Occasionally everyone has trouble finding the right word but a person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks(09 of10)
Open Image Modal
People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with dementia may not know in what order to put clothes on or the steps for preparing a meal. (credit:Anthony Harvie via Getty Images)
Memory Loss(10 of10)
Open Image Modal
Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia. People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example, they may briefly forget their next-door neighbour's name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbour. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbour's name but also the context. (credit:Compassionate Eye Foundation via Getty Images)