Please Notice What Nobody Else Does

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is generally only thought of as a disorder which affects one’s motor skills. It is defined as “shaking or trembling palsy…” (Steadman’s Medical Dictionary, 1982), but what is not realized is that there are a number of nonmotory symptoms and manifestations which are not taken into consideration when one is being treated for this disorder. Although stereotyped to be a condition which only older adults suffer from, there are some younger people who experience early onset forms of this disease. There are five stages which a person progresses through, the final stage being the one which renders a person incapable of caring for themselves (WebMD, 2010).

People who suffer from Parkinson’s disease not only have to deal with the loss of their motor skills, but they also have to cope with the effects the disease has on their psyche. PD is often accompanied by things like depression, anxiety, psychosis, and dementia (Ceravolo, 2010). The prevalence rates of these symptoms is varied, and can range anywhere from seven to 76 percent of the affected population.

Due to the fact that these affects generally go unnoticed and untreated, persons who live with this disease often are not able to have the same quality of life as someone who does not suffer from PD. For instance, if depression goes untreated, a person will struggle to find meaning in doing even the simplest tasks. If a person with PD has depression, s/he may not even see the point in pulling themselves out of bed in the morning knowing that they are going to struggle with the control of their motor system all day.

When one thinks of PD, they do not think of the affect a disease such as this would have on one’s mindset. Physician’s main goals are to administer narcotics which subdue or alleviate the physical symptoms of PD so that the affected person may be able to better live their life. If physicians do not generally take into consideration the mental aspect of this disease, it is no wonder that the untrained person does not realize that Parkinson’s disease is not only physical, but mental as well.

Persons living with this disease cannot hide the tremors or the shaking. The palsy is something others are able to see, and often something that they are unable to look away from. The average person would not be able to look past the shaking and see the sparkle which is gone from their once bright eyes and they cannot see the fear of the inevitable loss of independence.

Not all people living with PD experience all potential psyche-related symptoms, but every person needs to be looked at for who they are, and not the disease they are so unfortunate to have. Physicians need to be more aware of the potential psychological trauma that accompanies Parkinson’s disease so that those who are affected by this disease are given the support and resources that they require so that they have the opportunity to live their lives without the hanging shadow of an untreated symptom.

Everyone has a story, it is simply a matter of taking the time to look past the exterior image and discovering a person for who they truly are because often what you see is not what you get.

Ceravolo, R., Rossi, C., Kiferle, L., Bonuccelli, U. (2010) Nonmotor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: The Dark Side of the Moon. Future Neurology, 851-871.

Steadman’s Medical Dictionary. (1982) A Complete and Practical Reference for Home and Office Use. Baltimore, MD: Waverly Press, Inc.

WebMD. (2010) The Stages of Parkinson’s Disease.

Alyssa