Psychiatric Treatment Crucial for Many Parkinson’s Patients

The reason that anxiety and depression may be precursors of the appearance of Parkinson’s motor symptoms,it is suggested, may be due to the discovery, a few years ago, that the parkinsonian disease process starts in the brainstem and then advances to the midbrain. The brainstem contains serotonin and adrenergic neurons that could contribute to anxiety and depression, whereas the midbrain contains dopaminergic neurons that contribute to the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.

The pathological gambling or hypersexuality that some Parkinson’s patients experience appears to be due, however, largely to the dopaminergic medications that patients are prescribed for their motor symptoms—not to the disease process itself..

psychnews.psychiatryonline....

[Leyther]

One other thing that springs to mind pre motor symptoms is the difficulty in dealing with the effects of adreneline. Particularly in social situations.

when younger I used to get intense adrenaline rushes that made it difficult to speak particularly if there was something I felt strongly about.

Understanding that we are subject to chemical variations caused by PD can help to put how we feel into perspective and realising "its not me its the pd"

can help us cope with what can be very disabling, leading to apathy and motivational problems.

The drugs undoubtedly have influence on behavioural problems but the course these take is also down to circumstance. Various events in my life dictated the path my behaviour followed. There is no certainty that it there will always be disastrous consequences,

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This helps me understand why I have had periods in my life that were difficult, for no appearant reason.

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Just read the article. Thank you for sharing. It was very informative.

[etterus]

Thanks for the article. I was just seen by a Psychiatrist because of my intolerance for SSRI's. I am now 1 week in to the Emsam patch, a seligiline treatment. To early to tell yet.

[wifeofparky]

This explains a lot. Thank you for sharing.