Parkinson's-Related Psychological and Behavioral Problems Questions

1. How can I get my father to accept his Parkinson's diagnosis?

   Accepting the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and the physical limitations that may result is occasionally very problematic for patients. As you well know, this often results in a fair amount of turmoil for the family and can result in injury or overall reduced quality of life for the patient...
   1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

2. Is it OK for my mother to keep her recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease a secret from friends and colleagues?

   First, your mother's concern about her work situation is understandable. Sometimes patients, despite doing a good job at work, will get fired because of their Parkinson's disease. That's a violation of national law, but it happens all the time. So I can't judge your mother's work situation; she has to judge it...
   1 Expert Answer, 6 Community Answers

3. What should I do when my parent with Parkinson's disease suddenly "freezes"?

   Getting stuck in place tends to happen when people with Parkinson's disease are anxious or feel rushed, or when they're navigating small passageways like going in and out of elevators or through a doorway. It's embarrassing and awkward for them.
   1 Expert Answer, 17 Community Answers

4. Parkinson's is making my husband less social, what can I do?

   Patients with Parkinson's disease, such as your husband, often have difficulty feeling overwhelmed in social situations and it is not uncommon for them to shut down or isolate themselves when there are multiple lines of banter to keep up with...
   1 Expert Answer, 9 Community Answers

5. What is the difference between mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's dementia?

   Mild cognitive impairment implies that a patient is not normal in one or more "domains" of memory, but is not severly struggling in these areas to a degree that it impacts day to day function badly. PD with dementia is thought to be more severe and often patients with PDD (Parkinsons Disease with Dementia...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

6. What can we expect at this stage of Parkinson's disease?

   Although we "stage" Parkinson's disease for research studies, this often doesn't help predict how patients will progress and what type of assistance/living situation they will need. From your description, it sounds like she is at a later stage of disease and may have some cognitive involvement as well...
   1 Expert Answer, 14 Community Answers

7. Could my father's hand tremor be Parkinson's disease?

   It's possible your father has Parkinson's disease, because a common early symptom is a tremor on one side of the body that occurs when the patient isn't trying to do anything. This is called a "resting" tremor, and it tends to go away when the patient starts doing things with the hand or leg that's shaky...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

8. How can we keep my father, who suffers with Parkinson's, awake during the day?

   I'm sorry to hear that father is only awake for what sounds like a few hours a day. I agree with many of the other answers, as sleep disorders are part and parcel of PD. That being said, there are a number of step that we take to try and help:
   1 Expert Answer, 9 Community Answers

9. How can I help Mom deal with the depression she's developed as a result of Parkinson's?

   Parkinson’s disease affects multiple areas of the nervous system and results in a number of symptoms other than tremor and movement problems that are frequently seen. Depression and anxiety are very common in Parkinson’s and your mom is among over 40% of Parkinson’s patients in this ...
   1 Expert Answer

10. How do I get my wife with Parkinson's disease to take her medication?

    This sounds like a very difficult situation in which the Parkinson's and stroke are interacting. I would reccomend that you meet with a speech pathologist who can check to see if her ability to swallow is still fully intact. If so, this represents a very difficult situation in which one may need to...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

11. How do I get Mom to see a doctor when she's in denial that she might have symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

    It isn't clear from this description that your mother has Parkinson's disease, but you're wise to encourage her to have a doctor evaluate her symptoms. Your mom's reluctance to see a physician could mean that she suspects something is wrong, but she's not ready to deal with it yet.
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

12. What could be causing the sudden onset of my father's anxiety and depression?

    This sounds incredibly frustrating. Your dad must be extremely uncomfortable and no one seems to know how to help him. The symptoms you describe, can be caused by a number of medical illnesses, but I am presuming with all the care he has had, the workups did not find any such illnesses...
    1 Expert Answer, 5 Community Answers

13. Is it common for patients with Parkinson's disease to develop psychological problems?

    In my experience, it is often common for people with Parkinson's Disease to develop psychiatric symptoms, especially as the disease progresses. The most common problem tends to be depression, as both the disease itself and the loss of function can lead to this. Fortunately, antidepressants often help with this and are easily tolerated...
    1 Expert Answer, 10 Community Answers

14. What can be done to ease quivering due to Parkinson's disease?

    I have been diagnosed with Parkinsons about 5 years ago. I started with the drug Amantadine, then added Carb/Levo ER (which is the generic form of Sinemet), and have also added Azilect. The "combination" of all three has been working quite well for the last 3 years...
    1 Community Answer

15. Are hallucinations common with Parkinson's dementia?

    My mother was diagnosed with PDD one year ago. Her physical symptoms are mild, but the mental afffect is heartbreaking. She hallucinates daily about seeing people inside the house. She is still verbal, but doesn't make sense. I don't feel like I know her anymore.