Dear listfriends---
On CARE recently we have been discussiog a symptom or characteristic of PD
which I've labeled "perseveration". By that, I mean to include the
physical and mental inability or difficulty in letting go of a thought or a
thing, which seems to be common woth PWPS, and can be very frustrating to
their CGs.
Having to help someone let go of a walker or a spoon, etc, is no big
problem, but the *mental* letting go seems much harder. A simple
illustration might be when the CG has the meal hot and ready, calls the
PWP to the table, and s/he won't stop whatever it is s/he may be
doing---the CG gets "hotter" while the dinner cools ! Another example:
the PWP gets an idea into her/his head about something, and though it is
not an emergency can't wait for a time when the CG can take care of it, but
keeps pushing and pushing to "do it NOW!".
Now I realize some of us" human beans" are just plain obsessive-compulsive,
but I wonder if this can be more than a personality trait or problem, and
may have some of its origin in the PD itself. My own dear PWP was seldom
like that in the "good old days" before he met up with Mr. Parkinson. When
we discussed this on CARE, a number of CGs said it rang a bell for them.
The other day I was reading something about PD which I can not find, of
course, now that I want it. It described this very tendency, which I have
called "perseverating" but by a different name. I wonder if any of you
can relate to this, and may know the "technical" term for it which was
used? I would surely like to know !
Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter 81/70/55
Oxford, Ohio
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/camilla/one.htm
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Caregivers of Parkinsonians ! "
