Is there a PD personality type?

[LAJ12345]

After reading the post on “why me” I wonder if one is a Parkinson’s type of personality or an Alzheimer’s type. A bit like the old type a or b for personality types cancer. This is entirely made up and has no scientific basis. Just an idea. Feel free to shoot it down🤣. What type are you?

A Parkinson’s type is conscientious, methodical, often technical , worries about things, plans, knows where everything is, goes over things/lists in their minds. Tends to get absorbed in activities and hobbies possibly to an excessive level. Introverted

An Alzheimer’s type is less organised, more go with the flow, more spontaneous, doesn't cogitate over what might happen or run through continuous lists in their heads, misplaces things and forgets to do things, easily distracted. Artist, flamboyant extraverted.

Not everyone will develop one or the other if brain stays healthy. Environmental things, diet and exercise, traumatic incidents may trigger the condition. Some may never develop the condition if eg cancer or heart disease develop first. If brain is damaged or starts to deteriorate these traits mean the person starts to develop either PD or Alzheimer’s.

What do you think?

If there is any basis to this theory might it be a good idea to develop a more carefree attitude. Throw caution to the wind. Try something new. Make yourself extraverted , artistic etc

Maybe if you try and reset more the other way you can come to a balanced position in the middle where you are careful but not too careful. Methodical but not obsessive etc.

[carpark]

I don’t know but your Parkinsons description fits me perfectly.....

[Godiv]

Yes I see myself in the Parkinson’s personality. I’m sorry to say, I am an introverted worry wart. Interesting.

[Hidden]

WowThat is eerie

You just described me

[AmyLindy]

Lol me too

[1LittleWillow]

PD one describes me perfectly, and the Alzheimer's one describes my mom, who had Alzheimer's.

[DEAT]

Could possibly be me

[glenandgerry]

The Parkinson's description fits my hubby's personality perfectly.

[LAJ12345]

Gosh, I wonder if personality type precedes sleep disturbances as an early warning symptom.

[SGlass]

PD type fits me to a tee🤔

[M-o-ggy]

Fits me

[Hidden]

Very interesting and thought provoking post!

[Cindy27]

Doesn’t fit me. I have PD but match with your Alzheimer’s description. My spouse has signs of Alzheimer’s but matches your PD description.

[LAJ12345 in reply to Cindy27]

Ok thanks Cindy.

[LAJ12345]

True but lots are spouses too.

[715McGee]

Your post is very interesting! However, general classification used is too wide and one can to easily identify with offered descriptions of personnality. Not significant as a result!

[MBAnderson]

I am more inclined to suspect that once we are diagnosed with PD, in our effort to maximize optimal health, we become more meticulous about our health/hypochondriac. If you're speculating that personality type determines whether we get PD or Alzheimer's, I cast my vote as not so much. The illness comes 1st and behavior traits follow and correspond. Alzheimer's doesn't lend itself to being well-organized and meticulous.

[LAJ12345 in reply to MBAnderson]

Good point. My husband has always been like this though, but has become more and more extreme. I feel he has become more and more rigid in both body and mind. Refusing to try new things, obsessing over details, worrying for everything that may or may not happen. Perhaps he has always had Parkinson’s as long as I have known him at age 39.

I think I mean it is more an early warning rather than the cause of the PD I guess.

[MBAnderson in reply to LAJ12345]

Probably, most of us become more like that as we age and especially as we age with PD. We are slowly losing control over our body and the more that happens, the more we compensate and try to exercise control over our environment.

[LAJ12345 in reply to MBAnderson]

Is that what it is. I have found it frustrating that for years way before any symptoms he has been reluctant to try anything new or be spontaneous. He has never done anything until the last moment, especially something he perceives as difficult or unpleasant. Worrying about it until it is almost overdue and making it much worse for himself. Eg every year he would ask for an extension to file our tax return. Instead of completing and getting it in early he will wait until nearly the due date and no way of finishing it on time then want an extension. So he would then have to sit on a call line for 30 minutes to arrange it. Also when he was feeling anxious he would get very fixated on trivial things. One that drove me crazy was folding the kids underwear to put away in the drawers. They were tiny and he had them folded into these tiny wee stacks and would get cross with them if they went into their drawers and disturbed the piles. He would have to do this before starting on any important task that he had to do. I would tend to just chuck them into the drawer because life is too short to fold toddlers underpants but it used to be upsetting for him so I was banned from touching them!

However the thought of cleaning a bathroom or vacuuming never occurred to him.

[MBAnderson in reply to LAJ12345]

I wish I were banned from putting away cloths. Perhaps more going on than age or PD. Some of the patterns sounds like that's just who he is. Children's underwear example sounds a little like OCD. You are a real trooper for being as supportive as you are.

[hermanuuu]

Yes that's me too. I often wonder if its just a lifetime of constant stress to perform (go go go, faster , get more accomplished) as well as the sum of traumatic episodes. Too much time spent in fight or flight leading to a kind if neuro burn out. Like post traumatic stress disorder.

[GrandmaBug]

One of the first things I did when I suspected Parkinson's, the five months I had to wait to get in to see a MDS, was to look up the personality traits of a PWP, much of what is listed above. Yes, I "pretty much" fit the description. Previously, I dealt with 17 years of chronic pain which I "pretty much" overcame using mind-body techniques first devised by Dr. John Sarno. Dr. Sarno talks about "pretty much" the same personality types. I incorporate not only diet, exercise, but mind body techniques into my daily program to combat Parkinson's.

[ion_ion]

Add me on the list, too.

[fifthbird]

I've heard from several sources that PWP tend to be "Type A" personalities, and for the most part that fits me, too. I resonate with what @hermanuuu said, above: too much time spent in performance and survival (fight or flight mode) with a feeling that my brain got fried. I do also have elements of the other type and hope that means I can continue to cultivate a middle ground and not end up with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's simultaneously!

[LAJ12345 in reply to fifthbird]

Ah that’s interesting.