Coping with stress

We all have different ways of dealing with stress - what works well for one person may not work for another, so you will need to experiment a little and see what is most effective for you. The following ideas and information might be helpful.

Keeping positive

A positive attitude is generally thought to be one of the major factors in dealing with Parkinson’s on a day-to-day basis, and this is certainly true of stress. Most people need medication or other medical intervention at some stage but how Parkinson’s affects you is greatly influenced by your attitude towards it. Try not to let the illness define who you are - focus on other aspects of your life that are positive and find things each day to be grateful for. And try to avoid self-criticism as this will almost certainly make things worse.

Accepting lifestyle adaptations and focusing on what you can do, will enable you to continue to manage everyday activities and enhance your enjoyment and quality of life.

Coping will, of course, be more difficult for some people, but many lead fulfilling and active lives because they understand how Parkinson’s affects them and work around any limitations accordingly. They adopt, as American writer Sidney Dorros¹ said, a strategy of “Accommodation without Surrender”.

Keeping your situation in perspective and trying to laugh a little about it can also help to relieve stress. This can sometimes be very hard but laughter really does help - it releases chemicals in the brain which help lift spirits. It may also diffuse difficult or awkward situations by putting people around you at ease, making communication easier and removing tension.

Diet

DIet affects our ability to cope with stress. Stress upsets the regulation of blood sugar in the body, causing mood swings and fatigue. Stress also depletes the nutrients in your body. A dietary approach to the management of stress can therefore be very helpful²,³. To regulate blood sugar, it is important to eat a modest snack each 2-3 hours.

Diet should be prescribed for the individual by a Nutritional Therapist or Dietician. A healthy intake of protein, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids is essential over the day. It is difficult to generalise - see the Recipes page for some healthy meal suggestions.

Foods to eat:

Carbohydrates - trigger the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which can calm and soothe you. Good sources of carbohydrates include brown rice, pasta, potatoes, bread and popcorn. People with other conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer need to seek advice from their own dietician and doctor. Vegetables and whole grains – also increase serotonin levels in the brain
Fibre – helps keep your bowels functioning. As stress can result in cramps and constipation, eating foods high in fibre is very important and your diet should provide at least 25g per day. Fruits, vegetables and grains are excellent sources of fibre. Gluten free-grains are best and fruit with high fibre content include prunes and figs (these need to be soaked in water to hydrate them). Gliadin, a molecule in gluten grains (wheat, rye, oats, barley) can act as a neurotoxic opiod in some people and therefore eating other grains such as rice, corn, buckwheat, millet and tapioca may be helpful. The flour from these grains can also be used in cooking and baking.

Foods to avoid:

Fried and fatty food – these, like stress itself, suppress the immune system
Caffeine – causes the release of adrenaline, and therefore stress levels. If you enjoy caffeinated drinks, green tea contains antioxidants. Limit intake of tea and coffee if high blood pressure is a problem as it may also deplete zinc levels.
Sugar and salt – reduce the levels of intake of both sugar and salt. If you have another condition as well as Parkinson’s you should seek advice from your dietician or doctor.

Important!

Maintaining relationships is vital. Social contact and interaction with friends and family can help you stay positive, and will provide opportunities to share any worries and allow you to continue to engage in ‘normal’ life.

Exercise, recreation and leisure

Exercise can be very beneficial in reducing stress and it can also increase mobility, reduce other symptoms and improve overall quality of life.

Pursuing suitable activities you enjoy, or finding new ones, can help you forget any limitations you now experience living with Parkinson’s. The opportunities are wide ranging from energetic activities such as playing sports or going to a gym, to less energetic pastimes like going to the cinema or art galleries, walking, joining a book club or art class. The trick in reducing stress is finding something enjoyable that distracts you from your illness and helps you relax.

Complementary therapies such as Tai Chi, reflexology, massage and meditation, to name just a few, can be very relaxing.

Support Groups

Meeting with others in a similar situation can be very helpful in coping with stress. Support groups offer a safe place to discuss feelings, ask questions and obtain valuable information. Many such groups are free of charge and the Parkinson’s association in your country³or your doctor or healthcare professional, will be able to provide details. You can also or enquire at a local library or look on the internet. For more information on support groups see support groups.

Counselling

If you find that stress is severe and interferes considerably in your daily life you should talk to your doctor as they may refer you for counselling, either on an individual or family basis. This can help promote a more positive attitude to living with Parkinson’s which in turn can help you to manage or overcome stress.

Other stress management techniques

There are a number of other techniques, such as autogenic training and hypnotherapy that may help you to manage stress effectively. The key to success is to find one or two techniques that work for you and to then practice and use them regularly. The following may help:

deep breathing: take slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, counting to five as you breathe in and five as you breathe out. Then try breathing out longer than you breathe in. Repeat this until you begin to feel more relaxed
relaxation: sit or lie in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and slowly focus on relaxing the different parts of your body, one at a time. Many find this works best starting with the head and working down to the feet but this is up to you. There are many different CDs, DVDs, videos and books to guide you that can be found in bookshops, libraries or on the internet
meditation: this technique, in which attention is concentrated on a particular thought or awareness,can be effective in managing stress but does require some practice. Meditation classes are widely available and there are numerous CDs, DVDs, videos and books that can be found in bookshops, libraries or on the internet to guide you. The Parkinson’s association in your country⁴ may be able to provide details of local groups or other sources of information, or you can ask your doctor or other healthcare professional.