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Begin to Hope Relatives of Parkinson’s sufferers are more likely to experience depression but experts say following these five tips offers many reasons for hope 
As a person who has battled Parkinson’s disease for the past decade, Martha Gardener knows how difficult it can be to cope with depression. She also knows about a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., reporting that immediate relatives of Parkinson’s patients – parents, siblings and children – are about 50 percent more likely than relatives of healthy people to suffer from depression or anxiety. And while doctors say further research is needed to determine why these relatives are more susceptible to depression, Gardener knows that help is out there. “You don’t have to think you are a superman and have to deal with everything yourself,” says Gardener, 49, coordinator of the American Parkinson Disease Association Information and Referral Center at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. Experts like Gardener offer the following five tips on how family members can cope with depression: 1. Be honest with yourself Family members often report feelings of stress, financial concerns from loss of work, grief over the loss of dreams for them and their loved one, isolation from family and friends and lack of information. These factors can lead to depression. In addition, Gardener says, “Depression has a certain degree of contagion. If the person with Parkinson’s has a level of untreated depression, that makes it heavier for everybody. “I think that just getting honest with yourself about depression and just being willing to explore treatment options, that’s the biggest thing. Explore the roots of your depression with a medical professional.” 2. Don’t try to do it all alone “Unfortunately family members, particularly spouses, are often hesitant to ask for help and sometimes resist hiring an attendant because they don’t feel comfortable with a stranger in the house and it represents a certain loss of privacy,” says Linda O’Connor, coordinator of the APDA Information and Referral Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. “The primary care giver really needs breaks,” Gardener says. “It makes a huge difference. It doesn’t have to be someone not in the family. It could be different family members taking turns.” 3. Go to a support group “Support groups can be extremely effective in helping family members cope with the emotional impact of having someone they love have PD,” O’Connor says. “Support groups offer an opportunity to gather additional information about PD and community resources and more importantly an opportunity to connect with other people who understand and can provide encouragement. A support group helps people to feel less alone.” 4.Get informed “Seek out education,” Gardener says. “Find seminars and workshops that keep you abreast of information, new gene therapies and medical breakthroughs.” Then take what you learn back to your support group. “When they have some advice to share with others, everybody benefits,” Gardener says. “It really helps a lot to be able to help others.” And if your support group does not already do so, invite regional experts from organizations such as the APDA to speak to your group. 5. Groove on While exercise has long been known to help people deal with depression, recent research by the department of physical therapy at Washington University in St. Louis shows dance may be an effective tool for those with Parkinson’s. “One great idea for many in coping with the depression of family members’ Parkinson’s is to go dancing with them,” Gardener says. “Tango for Parkinson’s patients and Ballet for Parkinson’s are both catching on in a number of places. These classes combine the physical and mental health benefits of exercise, socializing with the magic of music (an idea popularized by neurologist Oliver Sacks) and might end up becoming one of the best therapies out there.” |
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Copyright © 2007 Cecil Whig. All Rights Reserved.