Of all the therapies and modalities we’ve discussed here, I believe the most beneficial overall for progressive symptom reduction and movement recovery are Dance based. Here we define Dance Therapy broadly and simply as “moving to music or a beat”
Read MoreThe Divided Brain and Parkinson's Disease, Part 2
In this sequel, we examine more closely the issues that an imbalanced brain function causes, in particular when the left brain is overly dominant, and show that there are strong correlations with the major motor and non-motor symptoms and real lives of people with Parkinson’s Disease. We will also explore links to Dorsal Vagus Nerve mediated immobilization.
Read MoreSelf-Doubt, Guilt, Inner Voices and Parkinson's Disease
While most people will be familiar with the external, physically manifest symptoms of PD, very few have a good grasp of these internal, hidden states, and so don't realize that people with Parkinson's (PwP) are also frozen, rigid and trembling on the inside too. Having engaged with very many PwP around the world, I've learned that there are common personality types, and we tend to have shared, overarching themes of internal emotional states. In particular, I've found that many of us can be described as high achievers, but are wracked with self-doubt and guilt on the inside. This finding appears to especially true in the cohort of PwP who eventually end up with a rigidity dominant form of Early Onset Parkinson's Disease.
Read MoreHow A Dog in the Family Helped Me to Understand My Parkinson's Disease
Then something profound and disturbing, but extremely important happened. As I was sitting there, I switched into a deeper "off" state - one in which I zone out completely, lose myself, the brain fog descends, I stiffen up and become rigid, eyes glaze over, I withdraw from the world. hat happened next was extraordinary.
Read MoreParkinson's Gave Me Gratitude For... Family
My career was cut short by Parkinson's Disease. I lost my Great Love, my life's pursuit and have had to grieve. To change and adapt, to evolve once again or perish. I'm currently lost, at sea, not sure what to do or what I am capable of. Yet Dave has found his Calling, in his family and his career. Very bravely, he formed his own business, Raptorxotics. He has squared his own circle and now his animals, family and work are one.
Read MoreSurviving and Parkinson's Disease
By Jennifer Oldroyd, Contributing Author and Person with Parkinson's.
Just like the family of a person who smokes can suffer from passive smoking, the carers of people with Parkinson's suffer from Passive Parkinson's. If they still want to do things together they have to slow right down to accommodate the Person with Parkinson's. The question is - is this necessarily a bad thing? While we do not draw Parkinson's into our lungs, a negative way of looking at things can be infectious and negative thinking is stifling.
Read MoreImpacts of Diagnosis on Parkinson's Disease
I hope that my experience might be a catalyst for change, because, in speaking with a significant network of people with PD around the world, there are many with diagnosis and aftercare treatment experiences even poorer than my own. I feel, therefore, we do need an overhaul of how the healthcare diagnoses and treat people with Parkinson's. Simply stated, the current experience of too many PwP (People with Parkinson's) is that they are prescribed drugs as a singular treatment pathway and given a narrative of hopelessness at diagnosis.
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The Beast Within and Parkinson's Disease
There is a beast inside me. The beast is not my Parkinson's illness. The beast is myself. Parkinson's is just the empty cage. Let me explain, because although this is difficult reading, I believe it is important to share this epiphany.
Read MoreCaregiving for a Person with Parkinson's Disease
Here at Out-Thinking Parkinson's, it is our mission to help not only People with Parkinson's, but also the people who love and care for them, those who also have, in a very direct way, their own lives touched by the disease.
One of the most valuable contributions we can make, we feel, is simply to express the feelings and thoughts of what it is like to be a person affected by Parkinson's or to care for someone with the disease. We hope this humanization of PD will help others in the same situation come to terms with living with the disease and bring new understandings for the wider community too.
Read MoreHow I Stopped Dying Inside and Started Out-Thinking Parkinson's
This is my story. It is intended both as a personal insight and to help others. It is a story about the vital importance of hope, potentials, positive mindset and the will to overcome when learning to live again after a diagnosis of Parkinson's. I write these words for everyone who's lives have been affected by the disease, whether directly or indirectly.
For no-one can truly live in the dark places of hopelessness.
So let me show you that all is not lost and why Parkinson's is not the end of life as we know it.
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