Maintaining Optimum Wellness

If you have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it is important to recognize that the condition is one that demands adaptation, not despair. Learning to pace yourself, prioritize goals, and make timely use of physical, occupational and speech therapies will enhance your physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being, and can make all the difference in how you enjoy life and maintain your independence.

Numerous strategies beyond the use of antiparkinson medications can help you achieve and maintain optimal health status. These include such interventions as establishing an exercise program, learning the most efficient methods to perform routine activities of daily living, and improving nutritional status.  Booklets that address these subjects in detail are available free of charge from the National Parkinson Foundation. Call (800) 327-4545 to obtain your copy.

It is important to seek out physicians and other healthcare providers for your "advisory team" who are both competent and compassionate. Consider choosing a minimum of two physicians: a neurologist who can advise you regarding adjustments in the antiparkinson medications, and an internist or family physician who is aware of how Parkinson's disease affects your overall health and can manage health problems outside the Parkinson's arena. Primary care providers may also include physician assistants and advanced practice nurses. It is important that the providers in neurology and primary care collaborate to share information about your health status to ensure the best care possible.

It is a good idea to maintain a personal health file at home, including dates of any major diagnoses, pertinent test reports, immunization records, dates of any serious illnesses or surgeries, allergies to medication, and a list of current medications, including non-prescription drugs and supplements.

Maintaining a positive attitude is one of the healthiest things you can do in response to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. At first, it is admittedly hard to have confidence that the disease is not a sentence to decline and disability. But given time, people with good self-esteem and an optimistic attitude develop a healthy determination to cope with the illness and sustain the energy, activities, and relationships that give life meaning and joy.

Support Groups

The National Parkinson Foundation sponsors more support groups throughout the United States for people and families living with Parkinson's disease.

Sometimes people worry that attending such a group might be discouraging to someone recently diagnosed. But more often than not -- particularly if the individual can avoid projecting himself or herself into the place of someone s/he might encounter with advanced disease -- the experience turns out to be extremely encouraging. You are likely to meet people who are doing great despite having Parkinson's disease for a number of years, responding well to medications and thoroughly enjoying life.

Support groups offer education, socialization, and an invaluable "all-in-the-same boat" forum, where people genuinely understand your concerns, and share insights into coping with Parkinson's disease. Contact your nearest NPF Center of Excellence for a list of support groups in your area, or if there is a link to support groups, include it here.

Counseling

Psychologists and social workers can be an important part of your healthcare team. Adjustment to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is often stressful, and sometimes prolonged. Over time, people get past the feelings of being overwhelmed with the diagnosis, and begin to plan how to accommodate the reality of Parkinson's disease in their lives. Short-term counseling with a capable psychotherapist can be immensely helpful during this period. In addition to adaptation responses, Parkinson's disease is sometimes accompanied by depression and anxiety. Dopamine, which is depleted in PD, is not the only neurotransmitter produced in the brain. Other chemical messengers, such as serotonin, can also become out of balance; these neurotransmitters are involved in mood. Clinical depression can sometimes abate spontaneously, but prolonged depression wreaks havoc with energy levels, productivity, and close relationships. If you experience mood changes and low spirits for more than two weeks, ask your physician to refer you to a competent therapist. In addition, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant medication that can safely be taken with antiparkinson drugs.