[little rock]

During the 8 years I've battled Mr. ParkinsonI've talked to a lot of parkies and the vast majority have admitted that they suffered a serious psychological trauma shortly before the on set of PD. I don't believe that that is the cause but I'm sure its triggers biological mechanisms that end up in PD. This might have been done to death, but how many of you can recall an incident that rocked your world less then a year before you became symptomatic.

[Fiona]

yes, me, i definitely did.

[rosebud]

For me it was about two years... But thinking back on it, nothing else in my life has ever been so challanging. There is a chain reaction that causes you to reel for some time afterwards, like the after shocks of an earthquake.

If you add that to other trauma in your life, it adds up to a lot.

My question would be, in how many instances is it a betrayal of trust? Wether it be between spouses/life partners, parent & child, siblings, friends, and even government and citizen. It always translates to people and the incredible damage we can inflict on each other. We have to forgive to move on and I believe we have to forgive before we can heal. Thats some pretty heavy duty housecleaning.

[reverett123]

I am convinced that a poorly controlled stress system lies at the heart of both the initiation and progression of PD. Beginning in the womb, our immune and endocrine systems interact in a manner that does increasing damage to the nervous system. As the years pass, our systems become increasingly fragile. At some point a major stress pushes us over a threshold and we become symptomatic.

It is far too complex to cover here but if anyone wishes to explore this they can go to:
http://www.parkinsonsonline.org/PD_Outline_Index.html

It is my small effort to contribute to the broader discussion.

[shakylady]

Yes -- major emotional trauma. Not surprised it brought out my PD at 47.

[lou_lou]

my father passed away...

[Floridagal]

A divorce,after many years, extremely stressful. FG

[smithclayriley]

Trauma, stress, oh yeah. I ended a long term relationship (badly). Got involved with someone 12 years younger (intense). I moved to the mainland 1000 miles north where I knew no-one (leaving family and friends behind) taking on a new job in management where I oversaw 35 employees that were use to running the show and had for many years. No support from my boss (they ran her as well) who wanted me to go off work on stress leave. My mother was in a geriatric psych ward having a mental breakdown at 75.

I was told by my new GP that I was most likely genetically depressed and had been a pretty good actress covering up for this my whole life. As I was trudging off to the drugstore with a script for Zoloft I thought well if I wasn't depressed, I sure am now. I felt totally invalidated. I thought I was a genuine person who appreciated openness, I never cared for people who acted out their personalities. For years I couldn't even play Charades.

I was way off the scale. I also wonder what part all this had to play in the symptoms that followed that led to my pd diagnosis. Then I think of all the other people who go through similar life events who do not get pd.

Being told I was told I had an 80% chance of having pd was the most stressful of all. I blurted out,
"I don't think I'm the kind of person that can have this disease". Pretty stupid, who can? I knew my life had changed forever and that was devastating. When I started researching what I was faced with I was terrified.

I wish I had not been told. Through physiotherapy my frozen shoulder was better and my arm started swinging again. There was no support where I lived (18 miles south of Alaska) and I didn't know anyone who had pd. I was given Sinemet CR right from the get go, something I did not question. I tell myself I don't have it because I don't want it. And I'm still not sure. It is how I get by.

[smithclayriley]

Rick, thanks for the link to PD Outline.

[aftermathman]

an extremely stressful job. I believe it was lying dormant and the stress brought it on. It would have appeared sometime anyway after another stressful event had I not been lucky enough to get that job.

Neil.