Emotional & Mental Health

PD symptoms and treatments can affect your mood. Depression and anxiety affect up to 50 percent of people living with PD. These mood changes can bring on worsening function, leading to a decreased quality of life. Tending to your emotional health keeps this cycle at bay.

• Be open and honest about what you are going through. Talk about your emotions with someone you trust, rather than isolating yourself.
• Talk to your doctor if you are having difficulty regulating your emotions. Healthcare professionals can recommend medical treatments.
• Consider counseling for you and your loved ones. Counseling sessions — alone, as a couple, family or in a group — can provide support, understanding and education. There are a lot of different types of counselors. Find the one that works for you.
• Join a PD support group. A support group can offer a venue to share your experience with those on a similar journey. This can lift stress, foster new friendships and prevent isolation. Contact the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) to find a local support group, or join PD Conversations, our online network of support.

Taking a deep look at the positive aspects of your life and nurturing them so that they grow can change your emotional outlook. Embracing these positives — family, friends or a new or favorite hobby — can offer respite when things are difficult.

• Trust yourself to handle any challenges that a PD diagnosis may bring. Reflecting on difficult past experiences can give you confidence in your ability to withstand any future tests.
• Simplify your daily schedule. Understanding what you are able to accomplish in a day and getting help with more challenging tasks can help you enjoy the present moment.
• Focus on what you can control. Taking control of situations when possible will help you minimize stress.

A strong support network is a powerful tool. It is important to share your feelings and needs with people you trust. Members of your support network may include:

• Family
• Friends
• Neighbors
• Coworkers
• Therapist/counselor
• Medical team
• Support group
• Faith community

The bigger your aid network, the better. Having people and groups to emotionally support you and those who can help with basic needs, such as transportation or meal preparation, prevents any one person from taking on too many responsibilities and becoming overwhelmed.

Remember to communicate your needs to the members of your support network! Family, friends and neighbors often want to help, but may need your direction in navigating how they can be most useful.

Healthy behaviors, including attention to diet, meal planning and regular moderate exercise can also improve emotional well-being.

• Have a meal plan in place. The foods you eat and when you eat them can impact how you feel. Sticking to a meal plan can reduce worry and ensure healthy eating.
• Exercise regularly. The Parkinson’s Outcomes Project found that exercising for 2.5 hours each week can help slow decline in quality of life for people with PD.
• Set short-term fitness goals. Trying out different forms of exercise is a fun way to boost motivation and keep you moving. Exercises like Yoga, Tai Chi and non-contact boxing classes can improve PD symptoms and mental health.

Focusing on the deeper meaning of your life and embracing faith or moral-based core values can offer comfort. Placing your trust in the belief in a greater outside influence or plan, may ease the acceptance of things you cannot control and free your mental energy to focus on the things you can control.

Spirituality means something different for everyone. Prayer, meditation and acts of service, such as volunteering, are some ways people with PD find strength, inner peace, happiness and a deeper connection to the divine or to their community.