I have no idea just exactly how this fits into this conversation, but ....

soon after I was dx'd with PD (over 8 years ago - wonder if I'd get the same results today), I did a search in the New York Times to see if there were any articles on research, etc.

my search resulted in 20 pages of obituaries!

I chose to laugh at the absurdity.

People come here for support; I hope that support is grounded in reality. Lately there has been much posting of the positive things we can do to improve and control this disease - I have participated in much of it, because I believe in the power of positive thinking, exercise, good nutrition, and the benefits of stress reduction.

But I also think this forum has to be a comfortable for people who are truly suffering, mentally and physically, a place where they will be validated in the truth of their current existence - sometimes a "fix" is not necessary; people just need somebody to listen and empathize.

Depression is a constant battle for me; the truth of my life situation is one that can exhilarate or defeat. I try for more days of exhilaration, but the days of despair are no less real.

We have to be careful that we do not scare away the person who reads the threads about positive living and who cannot in any way at all relate because depression or anxiety has not allowed them to leave the house for a month, let alone even contemplate going for a walk.

I think the answer lies in telling the truth, all of the truth, of living with PD - the good stuff and the bad.

The reality of Parkinson's is that it is ultimately fatal. That should not be whitewashed. Maybe a special thread is not needed; but we do need to remain aware of those who disappear, and if their disappearance is due to death, then they need to be mourned and remembered.