This post is the seventh of the 18 things you need to know about living with the symptoms of PD.
I have written a number of posts on the subject of attitude because I believe it is the single most important factor in living with and overcoming the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. It is also an extremely important factor in minimizing the development of anxiety and depression.
I started writing this blog last week but I was hesitant to post it because I thought people might think I’m just blowing more of the ‘boy-who-cried-wolf’ smoke out my hind end. Then I watched Michael Moore’s interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and I realized I had nothing to fear. We both have the same concerns and are both expressing the same message! So here it is!
Let me begin by saying that it’s so wonderful to see so many people pulling together, being creative and compassionate, while reaching out to entertain and assist others during this time of crisis. Social media sites are being swamped with inspirational videos and acts of kindness!
For those of us experiencing the symptoms of PD, joyful contentment is the key, above all else, to returning the body to homeostasis and restoring good health.
Chronic worry, as I have written extensively, is the primary factor in the development and progression of the symptoms of PD, and so, conversely, joyful contentment is at the heart of recovery.
Somewhere out there resides a very clever intelligence! Why do I say this? Because it seems this mysterious diabolical being has crafted an experience whereby a person stuck in a chronic state of worry, partly due to their nature and partly due to their life experience, could [would] develop a neurological condition in which worry [anxiety] is not only the most troublesome symptom, but that it also contributes to the development and progression of many other debilitating symptoms, aka, Parkinson’s.
It was a year ago that I found myself hospitalized, scared, deep in a prolonged state of panic and unable to move my legs. Seven days after being admitted, I walked out of the hospital, went home and shoveled snow! What led to this dramatic change, was quite simply, medication! There was also a change in outlook, but it came later!
After several consultations with a doctor at the hospital, I agreed to give levodopa and sertraline a try [this after seventeen years of being medication free]! It worked!
I thought this might be a good time to summarize my recent experience and strategy in overcoming anxiety. I’m still in the process, but I have made progress, particularly in my learning and understanding of anxiety and how to overcome it without taking pills [which is always an option].
If you are experiencing anxiety, please know that I understand what you are going through because I am there as well! Anxiety has become my biggest challenge, affecting me both physically and mentally! When I’m in a state of anxiety, the physical symptoms I experience significantly worsen!
The other day I found myself unwittingly pondering some experiences from my past of which I am not particularly proud. An announcement concerning the upcoming reunion of a hockey team I used to play for triggered the unpleasant trip down memory lane.
I would like to share with you my meditation experience and approach! Having said this, I would like you to know that I am no expert in meditation, nor am I a superior meditator.
Loving compassion! Two words we seem to be hearing a lot lately! Given what is going on in the planet, we could certainly use loving compassion!
Loving compassion is a popular form of meditation. It is essentially about having empathy towards suffering and the desire to do something about it.
Seek and ye shall find!
I am reading, The Root of All Healing, by Misa Hopkins, an American metaphysical healer who overcame MS. It’s an excellent book [on which I will do a full review when I’m finished reading], very much aligned with my own approach to healing.
FredPhillips 