Upside Stories Library
Stay curious
Explore our evidence-based insights on life’s big questions, transitions, and challenges for people approaching midlife and beyond.
Concerns About Dementia in Midlife: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and What You Can Do
You walk into a room and forget why you're there. A name won't come. And somewhere in the back of your mind: "is this how it starts?" Fear of dementia is one of the most common health concerns in midlife — and one of the least clearly addressed. This article explains what normal memory change actually looks like, when it's worth speaking to your GP, and what the research tells us you can do to protect your brain across the decades ahead.
When Life Breaks Open: Finding Growth After a Major Health Diagnosis
A serious health diagnosis can shatter the life you knew. But decades of research in positive psychology show that something unexpected — growth — can emerge alongside the distress. This article explores what the research says about psychological growth after illness, and what it might mean for you or someone you love.
Purpose and Brain Ageing: What the Research Indicates
If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s and starting to notice that you’re occasionally forgetting things, misplacing things, sometimes having trouble finding words, or worrying about future memory loss, you’re not alone. Although dementia is not a normal part of ageing, age is still the greatest risk factor for dementia (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2025). But what if an increasingly well-supported protective factor for brain health isn’t found in a prescription pad, but in something much more fundamental: your sense of purpose in life?
Are dementia and Alzheimer’s the same thing?
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are not the same thing. Dementia is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, language, and behaviour, which can be caused by over 100 different conditions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common of these conditions, accounting for 60–80% of dementia cases. Understanding the difference matters because the type of dementia affects how symptoms present, progress, and are best supported.
Modifiable risk factors for dementia (And what you can do about them)
Dementia is now Australia's leading cause of death, affecting an estimated 446,500 Australians in 2026. According to the 2024 Lancet Commission, up to 45% of dementia cases globally may be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity, depression, social isolation, hearing loss, and high blood pressure. Midlife is a critical window for action: the earlier protective habits are established, the greater the potential benefit across the life course.