From Parkinson.org
Like people with other chronic diseases, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often struggle with mental health difficulties. While the illness is known to impair many aspects of movement, research from the Parkinson's Outcomes Project has found that two non- motor symptoms — depression and anxiety — play a key role in the disease as well and its effect on people’s quality of life.
Anxiety is a common non-motor symptom of PD. It is important to note that anxiety is not simply a reaction to the diagnosis of Parkinson’s, but is instead a part of the disease itself, caused by changes in the brain chemistry of the brain. As many as two out of five people with PD will experience one of these forms:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety Attacks
Social Avoidance
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Read the article to learn about:
Causes of Anxiety
How Is Anxiety Diagnosed?
What Are Treatment Options for Anxiety?
Tips for Living with Anxiety
Additional Resource
For more insights on this topic, listen to the podcast episode “Managing Anxiety with PD”.
From APDA
From M.J. Fox