Mental health and living with Parkinson’s

[Gail Dons]

We’re afraid to talk about mental health. The chance of having a mental health issue during our journey with Parkinson’s is high, and we’re afraid to start down that path. We often don’t even tell our doctors about symptoms. It makes us sound weak and we fear others will see us that way as well – there seems to be a social stigma attached to having a mental illness as opposed to “a real disease”. Yet with Parkinson’s, mental illness may be an unavoidable consequence to losing dopamine and the cells that help us regulate mood.

I never had any mental health issues until last year. I’d never been depressed, had anxiety or undue worry. I’d never been to counseling. Yet last year I suddenly developed full blown, freaking out panic attacks at the low point of EVERY medication cycle. I could feel it coming, every 3 hours; I was scared to death. I had to stop working ; it was hard to do anything with friends. My movement disorders doc helped me understand what was going on. He said to expect episodes of “emotional incontinence” – AAUGH! Me? Mentally ill ? It was embarrassing! I couldn’t be having panic attacks – this must be some autonomic dysregulation! I felt like I had a monster in my head slowly eating my brain and taking control. FORTUNATELY, I had a team willing to try different things to see if we could get this under control. It took almost a year But finally an astute neuropsychiatrist put me on a medication that stopped the monster and I have had no episodes in 9 months!

It was difficult to talk to others about what I was going through. Yet one of the things that really helped me keep going was the help of other PwPs in the improv class I was taking. As we acted in various of the skits, several were able,to share their own battles with mental illness and how it altered their lives and relationships. Just the company of those who understood the nature of Parkinson’s and the effect on every system in our bodies was comforting. And it was good to talk and not feel alone and be seen as mentally dysfunctional.

When we have these issues, it is tempting to hide away, but we need to ENGAGE. Even when we don’t feel like it. Talk to your doctor. Go to a support group. Get involved. Get informed. Be an active member of your treatment team. All of the major Parkinson’s foundations have great libraries full resources you can access for free. A recent symposium talked about how staying active helps preserve cognitive function – and even reduces episodes of hallucinations, for those who are blessed with these manifestations.. Post on these forums – your sharing can benefit others. Do not give up! You are not alone!

(Bouts of emotional incontinence, do not necessarily produce these bouts of literary incontinence, but this is something I feel passionate about)

[mia]

I can say that the issue of mental health in this state is very individual for everyone. I can speak for myself as a person who cares for a person with Parkinson’s and for my grandmother with this syndrome. My grandmother is coping very well and seems to be feeling good. And I try to keep up, too, when I feel like I have problems, I can take sedatives or antidepressants prescribed by a doctor, which I always find here in Canada Drugs https://www.canadadrugsdirect.com/. So it turns out that everything I need I can find in one place, which is incredibly convenient for our time. So far, things are going well, and I hope it will continue to be so.