When your loved one has Parkinson’s disease, it can strain your relationship. Indeed, nearly 72 percent of Parkinson’s disease caregivers report that the condition affects their relationship with their loved one.
“Partner strain is often underrecognized with Parkinson’s,” says Sneha Mantri, MD, the chief medical officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation, a practicing neurologist, and a movement disorder specialist at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina. “As the disease gets more advanced, people can develop emotional lability,” or difficulty controlling emotions, which often appear exaggerated and fluctuate rapidly. Emotional lability occurs because of changes in the brain, but also, adds Dr. Mantri, many people with Parkinson’s can become more frustrated as the disease progresses and things take more time and mental effort.
These emotional swings are not personal feelings — they’re non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. And with the right plan in place, you can support your loved one through these emotions and take steps to protect your own mental health.
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