Three Causes of Depression

Dealing with depression is often a real challenge for people with Parkinson’s. It has been, and continues to be, a significant and revealing part of my own journey. And this is why I wanted to share the fruits of my investigation into depression.

There are three main causes for depression with this disease. The first is that the Parkinson’s itself is caused by lack of dopamine. I’ve heard that by the time a tremor is visible already 80% of the dopamine is gone. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and one of our body’s mood balancing hormones. So with such a significant loss of dopamine there’s a strong physiological pull to depression.

The second is the medication. I’m taking Sinemet (Carbidopa-Levodopa), and one of the side effects of the medication is depression. I understand that it’s a side effect of other Parkinsonian medications as well. So there are two very real physiological reasons why depression is likely to be a strong pull.

The third is because the disease itself is such a difficult and frustrating challenge. In earlier stages there’s the anticipation and dread of what is ahead. And when you get to the stage that I’m currently at, functionality is sometimes so restricted that there are times when I just want to give up, and anger and depression arise.

So there’s a triple hit there. Almost everybody I know who has Parkinson’s is on
anti-depressants of one kind or another. I decided not to go that route, partly because I’m extremely sensitive to drugs. And partly because I wanted to see whether I could exercise my own volitional capability and choose to not be depressed.

And this is what I’ve been experimenting with.