Index
- Psychological disorders related to Parkinson's disease
- Reminder of the causes and symptoms of Parkinson's disease
- Risk factors for Parkinson's disease
- Psychological symptoms of the disease
- Anxiety
- Hyperemotivity accompanied by stress
- Apathy
- Depression
Psychological disorders related to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a pathology that is one of the disorders described as neurodegenerative. It also exclusively affects the elderly and tends to increase with age. Unfortunately, no treatment can stop the progression of this irreversible disease. Also, it is characterized by symptoms that are both motor and non-motor. And the latter include psychological impairments that can handicap seniors and completely disconnect them from reality. Find out a little more about the psychological disorders related to Parkinson's disease in the following paragraphs.
Reminder of the causes and symptoms of Parkinson's disease
With age, neurodegenerative diseases are becoming more and more common. Among the most common is Parkinson's disease. This is a disease caused by the deterioration and progressive disappearance of certain neurons. The cells in question play an important role in the control, fluidity and precision of movement. When these cells disappear, the patient has difficulty executing very simple movements.
Some of the most characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's disease are:
- Tremors that are only observed during rest
- The slowness of movement
- The stiffness of the muscles
Other symptoms of Parkinson's disease vary from person to person. For example, patients may experience balance problems, sleep disturbances, constipation, or an increased need to urinate. In addition, psychological damage is also inherent to the pathology. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find that depressive periods characterize the first signs of the disease.
Risk factors for Parkinson's disease
The destruction of neurons involved in the control and execution of movements may be related to certain factors. In addition to age, certain parameters can accentuate this destruction. These are mainly :
- The environment - exposure to certain pollutants and heavy metals is suspected by scientists as contributing to the development of Parkinson's disease.
- Heredity - scientists have been able to point to the existence of hereditary predisposition when it comes to Parkinson's disease. This is common for the earlier forms of the disease.
- Exposure to herbicides - this is also a factor in the development of this neurodegenerative pathology, particularly in people with a genetic predisposition to the disease. Farmers are particularly concerned by this type of exposure. And in their case, Parkinson's disease is qualified as an occupational disease.
Psychological symptoms of the disease
Although physical motor symptoms are the most characteristic feature of this neurodegenerative disease, it should be noted that patients also suffer from psychological disorders. These can make their lives difficult and can strain the patience of those around them. All the more so since the psychological symptoms of Parkinson's disease can manifest themselves from the very beginning of the disease. However, at that time, they are simply attributed to the patient's old age. Find out in the following about all the psychological manifestations of Parkinson's disease.
Anxiety
50% of people with Parkinson's disease suffer from anxiety. It is also accentuated by loneliness, being in a crowded place or in the middle of a crowd. To help the patient combat this anxiety, you can suggest yoga or other relaxing activities.
Hyperemotivity accompanied by stress
This dementia is known to amplify stress and emotions. These, in turn, act by reinforcing the motor symptoms of the disease. The person with Parkinson's disease can easily become overwhelmed by emotions and become very emotional and sensitive. This heightened emotionality can also be caused by the patient's drug treatments. In any case, in order to calm the patient and relieve his or her stress, it is important to help the patient relax and not be subject to the slightest annoyance.
Apathy
This is a condition in which the patient presents certain symptoms such as :
- The loss of interest
- The loss of energy
- Persistent fatigue
- Social withdrawal
- Psychomotor retardation
Apathy is also characterized by a lack of initiative, regardless of the activity performed by the sick person. It also manifests itself in total indifference to all events that occur. When a person suffers from apathy, it is generally found that their emotional responses are the same under all circumstances. However, it may happen that the apathetic person agrees to carry out the activity. But, again, they will carry it out with indifference.
Depression
Although it seems difficult to distinguish between apathy and depression, they are two very distinct disorders. In Parkinson's patients, both psychological states can occur. Depression during Parkinson's disease has all the symptoms of apathy mentioned above. The only difference is that when in depression, the patient feels sadness. Usually, this depression occurs as soon as the diagnosis is announced.
In order to relieve the psychological symptoms of Parkinson's, it is important not to let the patient isolate himself. Maintaining social contact should be a priority.
