Dealing With The Emotional Challenges Of Parkinson's Disease.

Although it is true that the medications designed to treat Parkinson's disease have allowed persons with Parkinson's Disease to lead relatively normal lives - at least at the beginning stages of the disease - they do not halt the progression of the disease. As the disease progresses, the medications may lose their effectiveness for some persons with Parkinson's Disease. Some medications, furthermore, may have side effects that can affect one mentally and emotionally. Thus, people with Parkinson's Disease are faced with a chronic illness that each day limits their activities, that may also force curtailment of income-producing work and career activities and that impacts all of one's primary relationships. The person with Parkinson's Disease faces the prospect of deteriorating physical and mental functioning, the loss of primary relationships, dependency on others for activities of daily living and the necessity of having to remain in treatment until the end of their lives. All of these facts present unique emotional challenges to the person with Parkinson's disease.
What can you do to meet and overcome those emotional challenges? here are some suggestions:
Seek out information on emotional reactions to Parkinson's Disease and chronic illness...if you know what others have gone through emotionally when facing the challenge of Parkinson's Disease you may be better able to interpret your emotional reactions to the disease. Most importantly you will learn that you are not alone in what you are experiencing. Check back to this site from time to time for more pieces on the emotional challenges of Parkinson's Disease as these are central to learning to cope successfully with the disease.
Consider joining a support group composed of other people with Parkinson's Disease. At their best, these support groups can become safe places where you can bring your emotional ups and downs with respect to the daily challenges Parkinson's Disease presents. Don't give up quickly on a support group if it seems it is not working. Sometimes it takes time for a group to mature into a "place" that is safe and nourishing for its members.
Consider working with a therapist, a licensed clinician who can listen to and help you reflect on your emotional reactions to the disease and its daily challenges. A good therapist also will help you devise effective coping strategies that are right for you.
Cultivate as strong a support network of friends and family as you can. These will be people who you can turn to when the going gets tough...or when you just need to find a way to blow off steam. A good support network will be composed of a variety of people some who can help you with information, some with emotional issues and others with play and fun.
If you have a set of spiritual beliefs and practices, cultivate these as well. For many people with such beliefs their spirituality is stronger than any disease. They contend that their spirituality sustains them even in their darkest moments. Perhaps it will for you as