I’ve been browsing through posts on MyParkinsonsTeam.. an on line support group and social network. I have cut and pasted a few of the positive comments that I found refreshing.
“For every problem the is some possible solution and for every negative there is a positive side…..always remember you are in control because only you can decide how to respond back…. remember too: NO PD or any disease can ever take that away from you! Do not let fear get in the way, do what you want to do now….I used to put off doing things because I felt they were too expensive, or I would want until I could find a better deal or wait until I am older and have more time—…NOT anymore, I got my priorities straightened out now and for that I thank God! I know for me, often I have to be down and out, and have fallen, which I often physical do -do-fall-just to see and remember to look up and see all I do have, and how blessed I truly am and that no PD nor any disease can take this away from me! 🙂 “
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“At the time the kids were 6 & 8 years old and it was kind of hard for them to understand, Now at ages 21 & 23 they have gotten something positive out Parkinson’s; How to care for people and lend a hand when someone needs help. The other Positive thing it had on my life was it showed me how strong I am. This is a Disease that I refuse to give in to.”
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“Research for yourself to know about this and tell the Doctors, Because they learn from us also. Most of all,]I know it’s hard When living each day, Don’t make this Disease take all of all your life. I try to keep it in the farthest part of my brain and not have it in the front to were it’s who I am. I don’t wake up and say I have Parkinson’s and go thru my day and talk about it, I use to and would take me down and people pushed away. My kids say to me your amazing you never stop, Doing stuff. Get a hobby, I play Guitar at night and paint on canvas to relax and keep my movement going, Remember a body at rest, Stays at rest. Fight this Demon as much as you can and show who’s the Boss.”
AND I liked this next blog post from ‘My Super Power’
Anxiety is not always Negative PARKINSONS- MY SUPER POWER·FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2019 This past week I attended a Parkinson’s meeting that was about “ Understanding Mental Health Complexities of Parkinson’s”. Of course that wonderful mind of mine got into overdrive as I listened to the guest speaker talk about Anxiety, Apathy, and of course Depression. It all started with Anxiety. Sticking with previous articles and statements I have posted, that the human mind can think of 300 to 1000 words a minute and that 65% of these are negative, it seems the medical experts are no different in how they provide us with information. How they present or say things to us usually make us think in the negative as well.
When I was first diagnosed my Neurologist suggested that medicine might improve my Quality of Life. When I asked him what was wrong with my quality of life at that time. He did not have an answer. Just that he thought the meds might be of help. However he did not know for sure. Yet that one thought, being implanted in my brain, could have caused me to doubt myself. Anxiety , seems to be always shown as a negative. However Anxiety is just a means of how we respond and deal with stress. Stress can be caused by good or bad events that have or will happen to us. We can be just as stressed out on good things in our lives, as we can be about bad things! Remember as children how excited and anxious we would be for Christmas and what Santa Claus would be bringing to us. That good anxiety would affect our sleep patterns and mood. Looking forward to good things that are going to happen to us in the future IS ANXIETY! The reality however to us Parkies, is that our tremors or other Parkinson nuances don’t differentiate between the good or bad stress. Stress is stress and whether we are excited or not, our Parkinson’s will kick in. When that happens we start to over think. That overthinking can snow ball. It can create doubt. That doubt can lead to Apathy, and that Apathy can lead to Depression. Understanding that good stress can still activate our Parkinson’s however can be some what liberating to a degree and stop us from overthinking. Any knowledge we can get of our opponent (Parkinson’s) can only help us in our battle. However being Positive over Negative while doing so, seems to me, to be Paramount!
Standing up to Parkinson's 