On Sun, 6 Oct 1996 20:21:42 -0400
George M. Andes wrote:
>For me, the hardest part of the game is being patient with myself.
>I know it won't last forever; I know no one has a stop watch on me; I know
> things just are as things just are; I know frustration will only make
>matters worse; I know that it's no mental failure or moral lapse on my
>part; I know that if someone is watching me that any obvious frustration on
>my part will only distress (pointlessly) them; I know that I'm often too
>stubborn and contrary to ask for help. I know a lot of things, but right
>now what I know is "I can't move."
Last week I was speaking with a friend, discribing the various frustrations
of PD: the unreasonable demands I put on myself, the erroneous attitude of
not asking, nor allowing help to be given, while being disappointed that the
un-asked for help is not forthcoming. These are the 'head games' I play and
then suffer the consequences. My friend asked me how often do I ask myself
for help? How often do I offer loving and caring counsel to myself?
If the roles were reversed, what suggestions would I make to a friend? Why
do I feel that I am NOT WORTHY of the same consideration as I would give to
any other human being?? STRANGE, but true! This is probably part of the
personality profile of a PWP -- we spoke about it before:
On Sun, 7 Jan 1996 16:39:23 EWT
MARTI EIERMANN wrote:
"... on the subject of causes related to psychopathology, Lees
(Lees, A. J., 1990. The Behavioural Neurology of PD. In G. Stern, Ed.,
Parkinson's Disease, pp. 389-414. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press)
has observed that: because often there is a latent interval of several
decades between the initiation of the disease process and the emergence of
symptoms, it is thought possible that there is a so-called "pre-morbid
parkinsonian personality." It has been speculated that neurotic
personalities may be more at risk than extroverts, and that emotions
combined with hereditary factors might play a part in the onset of the
disease. Others have proposed that sustained, unresolved stress might cause
chemical changes in the brain which would predispose individuals to PD, or
that symptoms arise as a result of some chronic, unresolved conflict in the
patient's life.
What do you think of this idea of "sustained, unresolved
stress" and/or "chronic, unresolved conflict." There is a1so a 1989 study
by Eatough, Kempster, Lees, & Stern which found that, compared with
controls, Parkinson patients were more inflexible AND HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY
HIGHER INCIDENCE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD LIFE EVENTS."
Any thoughts?? Let's resolve that we check-in, on a regular basis, with our
inner selves and ask "how're you doin'?"
Margaret Tuchman(54yrs,dx1980)
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