Healthy Living

What's the Overlap Between Stress and Parkinson's Disease?

What's the Overlap Between Stress and Parkinson's Disease

What's the Overlap Between Stress and Parkinson's Disease?

The Impacts of Stress on Parkinson's Disease

Facing the daily struggle of Parkinson's disease can not only cause numerous issues within one's life, but impact day-to-day activities at any given stage. Although there is no clear solution for stress that can coincide with Parkinson's, individuals who feel the effects of this overlap may find it confusing as to where to begin when it comes to removing stressful aspects of their lives. Stress and its evolution over time can lead to worsening conditions and symptoms for those with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is far more than just “brain damage,” as some may think of it. Stressful situations can lead to increased nervous system interactions and activity. Although taking care of symptoms related to stress is important for overall health, it is possible to be too alert in this matter as time passes. Various anxieties, obsessive compulsive disorders, behavioral changes, depression, and more have been seen in those who hold themselves to different standards or who over-diagnose themselves. With such an impact on an individual's life, finding the strength to overcome these issues more often than not requires medical treatment. It is important for those facing the burden of Parkinson's disease to understand that stress can only amplify the side effects of this condition and so must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Facing Parkinson’s disease on a daily basis is not an easy job. It can lead to multiple issues in an individual’s life and cause difficulties when trying to carry out day-to-day activities at any given stage. Currently, there is no “cure” for stress, which is said to be linked to Parkinson’s. But those who experience the overlap of these two conditions may be uncertain about how to go about removing stressful influences from their lives. Over time, the build-up of stress can lead to the worsening of symptoms as well as an early progression of the disease. This disease is not simply brain damage, as stressful conditions can lead to an increase in the interactions and activity of the nervous system. Stress is a major issue for many people around the globe, so it is important for those with Parkinson’s disease to understand what stress can do to their bodies, given their situation, and how to overcome this overlap. Some of the symptoms related to stress are an inability to eat or a tendency to overeat, low self-esteem, anxiety attacks, constant worry, low energy, difficulty breathing, a weakened immune system, changes in skin, and nervous behaviors. In such cases, it is important to know when to seek medical help to manage this stress.

One of the many steps in dealing with stress is to understand the issues that could arise from Parkinson’s disease. An individual should thus make sure to keep their mind as healthy as possible. The individual can also seek counselling sessions or behavioral therapy to learn how to manage their emotions. Try to surround yourself with positive people who can provide ample support and be with you during trying circumstances. In times of stress, you can reach out to a family member or a trusted friend who can provide solace and to whom you can speak your heart. There have been breakthroughs in this field allowing doctors to be able to identify pertinent symptoms, which could improve the quality of life for affected individuals. There are multiple non-drug therapy options available as well. Although it may take several weeks for certain medications to work on the body, this option can be beneficial for many individuals.

If you think stress is increasing your pain and negatively impacting your overall health, try to find ways to manage it since, during the early days of Parkinson’s, stress can make a person feel ill and lead to panic or anxiety attacks. As the disease progresses, stress tends to become more apparent. Any kind of additional stress will likely worsen the disease’s symptoms as well as quicken its progression, so be sure to seek timely help before it becomes too late to deal with the disease.