gaykir
You bring up a good point about the mental state of many people diagnosed with PD. In reality, it is a known fact that half of people with Parkinson's will develop dementia, and probably all of us with PD will develop some cognitive difficulty or depression. Of course PD hits many older people (60+) because the loss of dopamine-producing neurons is a normal part of the aging process. But when we see people in their 30's and 40's being diagnosed with PD, it is known as Young Onset Parkinson's. The fact that these people will have to be treated longer (because PD is a slow devleoping process, especially in the young onset) means the likelihood of having bad side effects from having to use the medication for so long. I have been on Parkinson's medication for over 20 years! I am up and down as to how well I function, but I'm still plugging away. However, I know that the long-term use of Sinemet (Carbidopa/Levodopa) is the cause of my dyskinesia and dystonia. If you have never experienced dyskinesia, you are very blessed. I have it virtually ALL the time, but it stops when I sleep (thank God!). The twisting and constant wrything causes painful dystonia for me. I feel now that I am about as bad off as many with advanced PD symptoms. I am fortunate that I don't fall often. I fell in the rocks the other day, and I must have strong bones, because I have never had more than a stress fracture in both feet.

Gosh, I did not mean to talk (or write) so much, but I guess the point I wanted to make was that having to live with Parkinson's is enough to mess our head up emotionally, and the fact that we use brain-altering meds causes depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, and other mental deficiencies or disorders. Parkinson's is so much more than "just a tremor!"
Peggy