Parkinson's and Emotions

What are some of the emotional issues related Parkinson’s?
Parkinson’s is a progressive disease and some of the symptoms may have an effect on your emotions. You may experience symptoms of depression, memory and cognitive problems, confusion and hallucinations.

How common is depression in Parkinson’s?
Depression is more common in patients with chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s. One third to nearly half the patients with Parkinson’s may experience depression at sometime during their illness.

What are some of the symptoms of depression?
Symptoms of depression may go unnoticed and untreated. You should inform your health care team if you feel that you may be suffering from depression. Some of the symptoms of depression may include feeling sad, lack of interest, feeling of worthlessness or guilt, fatigue or lack of energy, change in appetite, weight and sleep or mood pattern.

What is the cause of depression?
There are a number of factors that can be related to depression such as family history of depression, being elderly, experiencing difficult life events and stress. Parkinson’s generally affects an older age group which may be more vulnerable to depression because of events like retirement and   passing away of friends and family. Loss of certain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine from the brain may play a role in causing depression.

How can I deal with depression?
If you are going through a difficult time, try to detach yourself from the situation if you can. You should try to do something you enjoy and make you feel better about yourself. If the stress is from an ongoing situation, you should first let others know about it. In particular, you should come up with a way of minimizing the impact of the situation on your life.

Regular exercise is a great way to deal with depression, and it will also help your Parkinson’s symptoms. You should avoid alcohol related products or take drugs that were not prescribed. Medical treatment of depression is often long-term. There are many drugs that can be used to treat depression and you should talk to your physician about this.

How can I manage memory and cognitive problems?
Memory problems and cognitive dysfunction are associated with Parkinson’s and can be very bothersome. You can practice and plan ahead in order to minimize it. If you need to remember something, you should try and concentrate on actually making a memory, try to picture it in your mind and relate it something important to you. Try not to be tense when trying to remember something as you will have an easier time recalling memories if relaxed.

You should stay positive. If you keep reminding yourself that you have a bad memory, you are more likely to forget. A notepad can be very handy and you should use it to write down anything you may forget. For upcoming events and appointments, use a calendar to help yourself keep track of them. Another helpful tip is to build routines. Make an effort to always place things where they should be, so it will be easier for you to locate them later on. You should also discuss this with your physician who may start you on medications if required after further testing.

What can I do to cope with confusion and hallucinations?
Some of the medications used to treat Parkinson’s may cause hallucinations, therefore you should discuss with your physician who may modify your treatment in order to minimize these symptoms.

Visual hallucinations are more common when you are in an unfamiliar setting. If you have been recently having trouble with hallucinations, you should try to stay in locations you are accustomed to. Sometimes there may just be a shadow that you mistakenly recognized as something else. Lights should be turned on in order to reduce these shadows at night. Adequate fluid intake and nutrition, improving night time sleep and repeated orientation is always helpful.

If you are a caregiver, you have to realize that a hallucination may seem very real to the patient in question. If the patient does not listen to reason, then it may be better not to dispute it as long as the hallucination is not upsetting. So don’t argue or reinforce them.  However, if the patient does get disturbed and becomes violent, you should call for assistance and do your best to avert serious injury. If needed, you should call 911.

This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician.

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