So, it is easy for us to get caught up in the "masked face", balance and posture problems, as well as tremors when we refer to Parkinson's disease. However, it is not really these issues that get down to the true struggle of Parkinson's disease. A lack of dopamine can cause chain reactions that frequently compromise a person's emotions.
Dr. Laura Marsh has stood up in the medical community and pointed out the challenging emotional and psychological issues that occur at a high rate in Parkinson's disease. She is a Neuropsychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University. She has presented on the issue at medical conferences, press conferences, and patient education events. She has used the power of the pen, publishing article about the emotional side of Parkinson's disease in various medical journals.
In 2000 she published an article in the journal Psychosomatics that cataloged many of these emotional elements. One of the highlights of that article was pointing out that emotionalism is common among people living with Parkinson's disease. Dr. Marsh explains:
Emotionalism in PD refers to heightened and excessive sentimentality that is inappropriate, unmotivated, and involuntary. It is usually fleeting, but there are often visible tears or weeping.
Dr. Marsh points out that many people with Parkinson's, as well as the people around them, mistakingly conclude they must be depressed. However, depression isn't always to blame.
We are not going to point you toward any treatment ideas for this. It probably does not make sense to take a pill for this event or pursue counseling. For some people, it may be one of those things that they can live with better just understanding it a little more.
