‘Deadwood’ and ‘NYPD Blue’ Creator David Milch Reveals Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

David Milch, creator of NYPD Blue and Deadwood, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

The longtime television producer, recently opened up being diagnosed with the condition nearly a year after receiving the news.

“As best I understand it, which is minimally, I have a deterioration in the organization of my brain,” he told Vulture in an interview published Tuesday. “And it’s progressive. And in some ways discouraging. In more than some ways — in every way I can think of.”

Milch, who created ABC’s long-running police drama, as well as HBO’s western series for two years, revealed he first noticed something was wrong about five years ago when he began to see changes in his behavior and focus.

The TV producer said that his memory was failing him as his friends and family began to realize he was displaying a shorter temper than usual. He also revealed he began to struggle when it came to his work, dealing with a “growing incapacity” to write, PEOPLE writes.

“I became more and more of an acquired taste,” Milch, who previously struggled with a gambling addiction, recalled to the outlet.

After experiencing the symptoms for some time, he finally decided to undergo a brain scan, which revealed he had Alzheimer’s. Milch revealed the diagnosis made sense, as he experienced similar things as his father, who he believes suffered from the same condition.

“That was a while ago, and the diagnosis was not as sophisticated or specific, but in retrospect, he exhibited all the symptoms of the illness,” Milch told outlet.

Despite the diagnosis, Milch has not stopped working, including writing the screenplay for the upcoming Deadwood TV movie, set to air 13 years after the end of the original series. The movie, premiering May 31, will feature most of the original cast, including Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant.

While plot details on the new movie are being kept under wraps, HBO released a plot synopsis for the upcoming film event.

“In the Deadwood film, the indelible characters of the series are reunited after ten years to celebrate South Dakota’s statehood,” the plot description reads. “Former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds are reopened, as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought.”

HBO released a statement to Deadline after Milch first went public with his condition, announcing the network’s support for the television producer.

“We treasure our relationship with David Milch, a beloved and long-standing member of the HBO family,” a rep for HBO told the outlet. “We honor David’s privacy and stand by his side in every way as he faces this challenge.”