Both depression and anxiety are common nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. While this is a commonplace occurrence because of the difficulty that PD brings about, it isn’t something that needs to impact your loved one’s quality of life. There are many things that you can do to prevent these mental illnesses from making life tough for your family.
According to doctors, these two symptoms can occur separately or together in those that have Parkinson’s, although appearing together is the more common occurrence. Also, they might occur at any time during the course of the disease, and may even be present long before an official diagnosis of Parkinson’s has been made. Anyone who has suffered from depression or anxiety will tell you that battling them is unpleasant. Combining them with PD can make it unbearable.
Depression isn’t just feeling really down for an extended period of time, although this does occur. It also comes with a loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy, prolonged exhaustion, slow thinking, and increased irritability. There might even be some profound changes in weight, appetite, and sleep patterns.
Anxiety is characterized by restlessness, worry, and nervousness. Although both anxiety and depression appear to be pretty constant when associated with Parkinson’s disease, anxiety by nature can fluctuate in its severity. It can often be tough to tell what is Parkinson’s related and what is independent of the disease, but either way, both of these mental illnesses need to be treated seriously in order to help the person suffering from them as best as possible. When a mood disorder occurs, a severe drop in quality of life also occurs. We don’t want this for our elderly loved ones. The whole point of finding them the best senior care that we can find is to help improve their quality of life. But when these things go unchecked, it has been observed that the symptoms of Parkinson’s are much more difficult to treat. In those with the disease, depression and anxiety can sometimes make it even worse if left unchecked.
In-home care can provide a basic support structure as your loved one has the basics of life taken care of for them, but this in itself is not enough. Medical and psychiatric support may also be necessary. On top of all of this, ensure that they are seeing their specialist on a regular basis to assist with their illness.
Luckily, treatment for depression and anxiety in those with Parkinson’s is identical to treatment in those that do not have Parkinson’s. This makes it easier for doctors to address the issue. However, some medications might exacerbate Parkinson’s symptoms. It’s really important that if your mom or dad suffers from Parkinson’s and you think they are suffering from depression, anxiety, or both, that you have them consult with a doctor to see what the best way to help them might be. Exercise is also very helpful, and because this might be tough for some with PD, working with a professional is the best course of action. Therapy or counseling may also be recommended as this has proven to be very helpful for most.
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