Parkinson's Warrior: Mental Health

Depression, anxiety, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbances, and dementia. These are just some of the mental health issues that affect People with Parkinson's. Stigmatized by society and seen as taboo topics, these non-motor health issues take center stage in this book. Parkinson's Warrior, Nick Pernisco, describes the various mental health symptoms, issues, and ailments affecting the overall health of people with this disease, and then presents clinically proven therapies that help to overcome them like psychotherapy, medication, natural remedies, and exercise, among many others. Get on the road to better mental health with Parkinson's Warrior!

From the Introduction

Over the years, I have been privileged to meet thousands of Parkinson's Warriors at conferences, as a Parkinson's patient advocate, as the moderator of the Parkinson's Warriors Facebook group, and in small, local gatherings around the world. During this time, I have come to realize that there are many non-motor symptoms that are taboo to discuss, and that largely go undiagnosed and untreated as a part of our overall PD symptoms.

With this book, I wanted to break the taboo and say that these are issues worth discussing and worth thinking about as a part of our total illness. As a community, we still fail to discuss issues of cognition, depression, anxiety, mood disorder, and thoughts of suicide that affect us, not just because we are struck with a troublesome disease, but because there is literally a chemical imbalance in our brains. We need to speak up about these non-motor symptoms, and others must realize that we are not just about treating the tremors or stiffness, but that we are whole people with mental health issues that must also be addressed.

My hope is to break these taboos and provide a starting place to begin discussing these issues and find ways to discuss them and learn more about them. As I always say in my prefaces, I am not a doctor. I do not know everything about all these symptoms. I am a patient eager to learn and eager to gain new resources to improve our lives day by day. These are starting points, and although you will not walk away knowing all the answers, you will walk away with the knowledge that these mental health issues exist, and they are worth discussing with loved ones and with our care team.

I invite you to join us for a discussion after you have finished this book. Join us on Facebook or e-mail me to share your experiences. I love hearing from people from all around the world or from right around the corner. The pandemic has given us new ways to connect and joining support groups like these or others put on by your local Parkinson's association can be a lifeline, especially as our illnesses progress. Stay connected and keep learning. Never give up on yourself or on those people around you. Remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint, and that the journey is what matters, not the destination. Yes, these sayings are a little cheesy, but as PWPs, we get it.