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How a Psychiatrist Can Help You Manage Parkinson's Disease
An estimated 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but that number may be higher, because the condition is often misdiagnosed.
If you already have a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, you could benefit from the general psychiatric services available at Revolution Psychiatric and Addiction Treatment.
Our board-certified psychiatrist, Richard E. Repass, MD, specializes in customized care plans for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Repass completes a comprehensive neuropsychiatric exam to identify your needs and determine what therapies you need to manage your condition.
What to know about Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is progressive condition that affects your nervous system and the areas of your body the nerves control. The condition develops when nerve cells in your brain start breaking down and dying off. The loss of nerve cells decreases your dopamine levels, which triggers irregular brain activity.
In early stages of Parkinson’s disease, your symptoms develop gradually, you may initially notice that your face shows little expression, your speech may be slurred, and your arms may not move when you walk.
As the condition progresses, you may also develop:
- Tremors
- Rigid muscles
- Loss of balance
- Slow movements
The root cause of Parkinson’s disease isn’t well understood but environmental factors and your genetic history likely contribute to the condition.
Treatment options for Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is incurable, but there are treatments available to control tremors and other symptoms.
Medications are available to improve your mobility, prevent rigid muscles, and slow the progress of the disease. You may also benefit from lifestyle changes and physical therapy sessions to keep Parkinson’s disease symptoms well-managed.
When conservative therapies aren’t working or medications are no longer effective, you may need surgery.
A common surgical strategy for Parkinson’s disease is deep brain stimulation, a procedure to implant a stimulator device into your brain. The device delivers low currents of energy into brain tissue to disrupt signals that contribute to tremors and other symptoms.
In addition to addressing the medical issues that Parkinson’s disease causes, there are also psychiatric side effects to consider.
Why psychiatric care is a key part of Parkinson’s disease care
People with Parkinson’s disease can experience a variety of psychiatric issues that deserve medical attention. These issues can include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep disruptions
- Memory challenges
- Impulse control issues
Some people may also experience psychosis, a collection of symptoms that affect your mind and can cause a break from reality.
Dr. Repass provides general psychiatry services to address these side effects of Parkinson’s disease before they grow out of control. He offers psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other therapeutic techniques to alleviate psychiatric symptoms.
Through therapy, you can learn how to better cope with your diagnosis and the effect it has on your quality of life. You might also be a candidate for medications to manage anxiety, depression, psychosis, and impulse control issues.
Additionally, we can discuss the benefits of BR+NAD+™ therapy. NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a substance your body already produces to boost communication between your brain and your nerves, repair DNA, and increase neurotransmitter production to improve your sleep and memory.
Call us at Revolution Psychiatric and Addiction Treatment in Mercer Island, Washington, to schedule a Parkinson’s disease evaluation, or book an appointment online today.
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