Parkinson’s Disease: The Emotional and Psychological Impact

Much has been written about the physical complications associated with Parkinson’s disease but not so much focus has been paid to the psychological and emotional complications. For many patients, the onset of emotional and psychological conflicts can be just as problematic as the Parkinson’s condition itself. When diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it is important to not only obtain the necessary medical treatment but also to obtain the appropriate psychological and emotional support as well.

Because Parkinson’s disease is a progressively deteriorating condition, many PD sufferers are not even aware of the diagnosis until life altering symptoms are present. As a result, there is a psychological tendency to deny the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease as the patient is usually quite surprised with the diagnosis. In addition to denial, patients who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may also feel an overwhelming sense of relief in that a diagnosis has been identified and, as a result, a treatment program to remedy the symptoms, to some extent, may be put in place.

In addition to denial and shock, many Parkinson’s disease patients also suffer from emotional and psychological complications associated with losing a sense of control over their lives. While many PD patients are exposed to other individuals with Parkinson’s disease, there is a tendency to become hypersensitive to any changes, personally, in the ability to manage and control activities of daily living. For this reason, as the loss of control progresses, and the patient becomes more dependent on others, depression is quite common.

Depression is so common in the Parkinson’s patient that an estimated 40 percent of all cases of Parkinson’s disease are affected. What is important to understand is, while the onset of depression may not be directly related to the Parkinson’s disease, it may be a secondary reaction to the biochemical change in the body as the treatment of Parkinson’s disease is initiated. Because Parkinson’s disease is a direct complication of the hormonal systems and brain function, these same areas may also attribute to the onset of depression or anxiety.

And finally, there is stress. For many Parkinson’s disease patients, the simple diagnosis is enough to create an onslaught of emotions, including stress. While these emotions should be managed through a support network, including therapy, Parkinson’s disease patients also show significant improvement in symptoms when they are able to remove adverse stressful events from their lives.

As with any chronic health complication, the early intervention and diagnosis, from a physical standpoint, is as equally important as the intervention and diagnosis from a psychological and emotional standpoint. Remembering to treat the whole person when diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, will provide for a more effective treatment plan which will sustain the patient through the remainder of life.