Has anyone else experienced significant personality changes, (other than cognitive losses),since the on-set of PD?

[ronn]

[shall1019]

I feel so much better since being diagnosed. I told someone I felt like I was getting my personality back. I used to be cheerful and fun.

[Parkinson_Schmarkinson in reply to shall1019]

Same here. I was having so many random and apparently unconnected symptoms, I feared I was losing my mind and just falling apart. The diagnosis put it all in context.

[jupiterjane]

I am nowhere near the person I once was. Every day I can feel more and more of myself slip away. I am a fat, slow, forgetful, stoned face, anxiety ridden, mess of a woman. I miss the old me wherever she may be.

[MGirardi in reply to jupiterjane]

We must be twins

[Parkinson_Schmarkinson in reply to jupiterjane]

Was the old you as talented with words, form, and color?

[Hidden]

I'm on the same wave as jupiterjane above!

Blessings,

Carol

[PatV]

I waver between being annoyingly funny and resigned to staying in the house. Try to get out everyday. And not so dependent on my kids. I am usually pretty happy.

[etterus]

I'm just like Jupiter jane only I'm a male... I think.

[Cags3]

I used to be funny and out going now I'm quiet and quite shy. I sit quiet most of the time when I'm out in a group. Plus my face looks miserable apparently that's the PD.

[muttie]

... me too!!!!

[jupiterjane]

Sometimes I just sit back and shake my head. This is one hell of a mess I'm in to. I usually manage to work myself up into a good angry resentful mood and then along comes some well do good who thinks they can make my life better by saying. "but you look so good"! *Whack*, *Bam* *Boom*! Damn Parkinson's, my arm and the cane that is always attached to it, had an attack of Dyskinesia! Now where did that friendlly woman go to?

[Susie01]

I have become much less sociable, do not like talking on the phone or go to social functions. Because of the facial "masking", my family is always asking if I am mad. Even when I try to smile for a picture, I look mad and sad.

I am a single mom with a small amount in disability and child support. I end up in tears a lot from the stress and no hope of it changing. I do love to laugh and my family and I do a lot of laughing even with all of the above.

[olpilot]

I was just talking about that 2 days ago in the support group, and it's strange. Someone asked in general" do you still have a sense of humor"? We talked and thought about it and the general feeling was no. We don't laugh like we did we don't joke, or tell them like we used to. Sad really, because in the group we all felt and understood what was going on but ouside that room we no longer were who we once were. My wife, bless her just got this group going. Many of the members have not been out together for a long time, not in public because of eating problems, or tremors, or just plain moving around problems. We do change, every question from a loved one,did you get enough to eat, how do you feel, did you poop today, it all takes away from who we were and I guess hurts, so I would say YES my mood has changed, and quit a bit. I am more sensative about life, what everyone else takes for grantide is a big deal. Sometimes we get mad, don't know why for sure, but we get mad. We get sad and I think we know why we are sad, but we keep on keeping on making the most of what we have, but yeah it does effect our mood. Sometimes to the point of tears and we ddin't always know why. But we keep on keeping on, no choice, we are part of a special club, admission is free, but the dues suck.

[Trixiedee in reply to olpilot]

Lucky for me, humour is my most efficient defence medicine. The darker things get, the darker my jokes become. Recently it has been suggested that I try stand up comedy but that would terrify the hell out of me!

[olpilot in reply to Trixiedee]

I find I can laugh at what is happening to me, but it's the other things I don't find funny anymore. Movies, comedy central on tv. I find I still say something that will make my wife laugh uncontrolable, but damned if I know why. I wish I could laugh like that again. I guess I don't laugh at is what happening to me so much as I do smile, about some of the less serious things that happen. I certainly don't cry about it, that I save for those much worse off.

[Parkinson_Schmarkinson]

I have periods of anxiety and depression, when I get lethargic, irritable with my loved ones, resentful, helpless, apathetic, teary for no good reason, guilt-ridden, obsessed by unwanted ruminations, and so on. (I was dx 2 years ago and really am in pretty good shape.)

Humor and creativity help. Keeping busy helps. Doing something generous for someone else helps. A puff or two of cannabis helps too.