Living With Parkinson’s Disease

Being told that you have a chronic, incurable illness is one of the hardest things that most people will ever face. A diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease carries with it the realization that your body will never be the same. In the earliest stages, the diagnosis of Parkinson’s has some profound psychological effects that are often more difficult to deal with than the physical effects.

For many newly diagnosed people with Parkinson’s disease, the first reaction is denial. It may take the form of refusing to tell family and friends, going to specialist after specialist hoping to find one that will dispute the diagnosis, even avoiding doctor’s appointments and refusing treatment. The period of denial can be made even more difficult by the fact that some doctors believe the first symptoms of Parkinson’s may be chemical changes that cause depression and mood disorders. Most people will go through the usual stages of grief denial, anger and eventually a gradual acceptance that there are things you must do in order to live with the disease with as little disruption as possible to your life.

Adapting to life with Parkinson’s disease involves making changes in many areas of your life. It includes learning what you can manage on your own, and when you need to seek help from someone else. You'll have to decide whether and when to tell people about your illness, and how to deal with their reactions to it. It’s normal to feel anger, frustration and fear but there are ways that you can cope with all of those and maintain a normal life for years after your diagnosis.

Dealing with a chronic illness is a long and difficult journey. It’s not a character failure to have difficulties and it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help in dealing with it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the changes that you’re facing, the most difficult thing for you to do may be to ask for help in dealing with your feelings. If it helps, keep in mind that depression and anxiety are symptoms of the disease, and especially frustrating ones since it’s hard to sort out what’s caused by the changes in your brain and what’s caused by the reality of what you’re dealing with.

You’re not the only one who has traveled this road, and there are many ways and kinds of help available to you. Among those are special services to deal with physical needs; therapy and counseling; support groups; in home services to help with housekeeping, cleaning and physical tasks that have become difficult; online support groups and discussion groups to help you learn more about the options available to you.

Living with Parkinson’s disease isn't easy, but there are supports available to make it easier on you. Take the time to explore the possibilities, and work on asking for help when you recognize you need it. Even small changes can make a major difference in your outlook on the rest of your life.




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