Proud Grandma of 2, If you are suffering memory loss issues it is not necessarily related to pd. It could very well be just regular aging. Try making a daily list of what you need to accomplish each day. Keep it in a spiral notebook, Check things off carry things over. Keep your calendar there. Track your pd medicine timing, symptoms, physical and mental. Don't worry about remembering things as long as you know where to look them up. Ask yourself what did you have for breakfast? If you can remember that then don.t sweat the small stuff. Good Luck and good health Alex

My husband entered a study and before he could actually participate, they did some memory tests which he failed and they didn't accept him, so I know what you are going through. It was a sad day for both of us.
Hang in there and I am sure it will get better.

Hi . Alex is rt. Your memory problem may not be effected because of the PD. It may be the normal process of aging. My husband cannot remember where he put his keys , so I both him organizer , it has a compartments , when he gets home he empties his pockets and puts all in the bin. That way he always knows where they are. He looks for his glasses also and they are around his neck. So the organizer take care of that. As for going in circles and not accomplishing he task. The reason is you give your self to much to do. When we were younger we stir with one hand and pack lunches with the other hand. As I get older it's getting harder to do that. So I have large board with magnet backing fixed on refrigerator and i write on it what i need to do today. then I mark , done on all that is finish . I have done this all my life , just kept track what had to be accomplished . I tell my husband,you are thinking of to many thinks and get muddled because to much on your mind. You get forgetful because you give your self to much to do. Give your self a break , pace your self. Things get done , only not as fast as they use to. What is not accomplished today will be done tomorrow or a next day.You have it marked and can check progress on the board. It is in front of you. When we were younger , I use to put
notes ,for my husband and son in the fridge or freezer. I knew they find them and do what I requested . Try it , may work for you.

Proud Gran,

Rule # 1: "First, do no harm." Any therapist who is serious about practicing his or her art will not knowingly leave you beat-up, bruised, and misunderstood. Uncomfortable, perhaps, especially early in the relationship when your emotional equilibrium is a bit tippy.

Over my many years I have dealt with many therapists. The good ones have helped enormously. They have been rare. The rest make we wish I had saved the money and worked problems out on long walks where I could find some nice trees to talk to... or with a good friend over coffee.

At this juncture, I would only suggest this. You are the one who has to benefit from the process and the results. Both of those have to be acceptable to you. If you are not happy, do not hesitate to assert yourself and clarify understandings... recognizing that that communication will have to go two ways. If things don't change for the better, think about finding another therapist.

Just my $.02.

Beekeeper

Behavior Therapy/Cognitive Therapy - If you are going for depression, etc. learning how to live in reality? Is that what you mean? I have worked with a therapist because my neuo asked me to because I didn't want to take anti depression meds. Like BeeKeep says - I worked with 3 therapists. I had good ones and I had some ones I thought were not on the ball so to speak. My first therapist was wonderful. She saw me about 6 times and I didn't need to go back for about a year or so when I was having other problems and she had moved along to another place that was too far away for me to travel.

Yes the first session(s) are draining. I had to go over everything that was bothering me - I'm depressed enough I don't want to rehash all my depressive stuff - tears, more tears. But it is worth it. The main thing is that they helped me to identify the problems and then look at what the most logical answer might be to that problem. Why I said that my first therapist was the best is she moved me along fast. Problems, fears: what is real and what is not real; what can I do about it and what I cannot do about it; then she wanted me to take action. That is what helped me the most was the taking action part. And I was willing to go along with it. Behavior therapy I do not think should be a long drawn out process - once I saw what the real problems were as opposed to unreal problems, I got results. It deals wiith what is going on in my life now - not what my mother did to me 20 years ago but what she is doing to me now. LOL Good luck.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. Have I told you lately just how very much I appreciate you listening, not making me feel stupid when I throw something out there, and the way you really do try to give such helpful feedback??? You are great!

I recently went back to the list making & it has helped to a point. Just need to learn not to list too many items - leaving me feel like I feel short every day, when in reality I did the best I could.

I did go online and research this "new" type of therapy (ACT = Acceptance & Cognitive Therapy) started by Steven Hayes, along with two others. I'm not so sure about this. Just sounds a bit too "new age" for me.

We went over medical/family history - tiring stuff. Then he seemed to bounce all around. I'm a cut thru the BS & let's get going kinda gal. But, I hung in there....frequently thinking, "Did this guy mix up my files with someone elses?"

My legs started the 'ol cramp about halfway in & I asked if it would be OK to stand (explaining the situation)....while he tells me life is all a triad: Thoughts/Behavior/Mood. Then he referred to a copy of my most current symptoms/issues I had just given to my neuro that morning. He told me I had a CHOICE when I called out to my husband after my ankle went into a severe twist and I (with laptop computer desk & laptop sitting in my lap and chair reclined) called out to my husband because I couldn't get my chair down & needed to get up ASAP (in so much pain I couldn't get my voice loud enough for him to hear me for what seemed like forever!). I thought maybe the doc misunderstood the situation and calmly said there is no choice in that situation - unless I wait to pass out from the pain. He said I DID have a choice. By then I was exhausted and really tiffed off!

I have found there is alot to be done in the way of educating others about Parkinson's Disease. I always try to do this in a positive way - stressing how individualized PD is. Now here is a doctor acting like he is going to use his standard method of "therapy" and chooses a PD incident as an example??? I even asked him if he truly had worked with PD clients before. (He said he had.) The tears started when I explained to him that EVERY item on that list for my doctor represented issues I deal with. I asked him not to take them lightly. I told him I come from "tough stock" and don't dwell on them - I live my life with/despite them! I also tell him to ask my family/friends/former co-workers/neighbors....I am a VERY positive person. I'm crying. He runs out of these itty-bitty little pieces of sandpaper trying to pass themselves off as tissues! (A therapist without a back up supply of tissues? LOL) I retrieve my stockpile of tissues from my purse (left over from the grandsons freezing cold football games). Then he proceeds to basically tell me the issues I am dealing with are caused by the above mentioned triad...around & around we go (me getting too exhausted to even bother with what he is saying to me by now).

I have been to see "therapists" for various issues in my life in the past. Your right, Beekeeper, some have helped more than others - however I always left feeling I benefited from the experience. And, I understood this was not that kind of therapy. But - having this young pup waste my time and then upset me & not even seem to care, since he had a "script" to follow??? I'll go back one more time & see if he gets down to the business I came to see him for. If not - I will call the referring doctor and see what he has to say about all this.
(I did tell him before I left that I wanted information on this ACT before I handed my brain over to him - to which he laughed & said there was no way seeing him for 10-12 visits he would be able to harm my brain.)

Next visit in two weeks.....keep you posted.

You may not even be depressed but this may help with the cognitive therapy and the approach applies to all forms of cog ther...


("According to Beck's theory of the etiology of depression, depressed people acquire a negative schema of the world in childhood and adolescence; children and adolescents who suffer from depression acquire this negative schema earlier. Depressed people acquire such schemas through a loss of a parent, rejection by peers, bullying, criticism from teachers or parents, the depressive attitude of a parent and other negative events. When the person with such schemas encounters a situation that resembles the original conditions of the learned schema in some way, even remotely, the negative schemas of the person are activated.")Beck, AT (2008) "The Evolution of the Cognitive Model of Depression and Its Neurobiological Correlates". Am J Psychiatry 165:969977.|pmid=18628348

Saying "I dont have a choice" can be viewed as a negative schema. When tearing down a persons negative schema's it at first might sound stupid or ridiculous because of precisely ......the problem.......which is your used to a particulor negative schema.

For example i use the word wellness in place of illness....it might sound trite but im empowering myself to be well and take responsibility for my "welness" instead of be victim to my illness. And i tear down my negative schema or outlook if you prefer and empower myself to go forward with a positive approach to negative situations.

You are correct (i think) to feel confronted because your system of beliefs that make you who you are is being confronted but typically when one goes to seek cognitive therapy they are asking to change something they percieve in their behavior that needs changing.

Your Doc may suck too, or suck at his approach but you can now see what they are roughly trying to do. He will get you through a cognitive change in 8-14 sessions if hes good..otherwise bail for sure......(my Opinion) And with that knowledge tackle your own negative schema's and maybe see a therapist and not a psych DR. they are more mellow and listen and chat........while you tackle stuff they can ref.....so i hope your wellness remains high.


Brer T

In theory, I tend to like the cognitive therapy approach, although I am not that familiar with ACT specifically. It doesn't sound like it is much different though. Cognitive therapy as I understand it - and this is probably over-simplifying it - is a form of therapy that gets a person to examine their thinking processes and patterns, looking for ways where those processes and patterns are affecting their behavior in a negative way. Once you identify the negativity - it then goes on to teach ways to change those thinking processes which in turn helps the person change behavior so that they handle things in a more positive way. Terrapins explains it much better.

And I agree with him, It might not be the kind of therapy that is the issue but rather that the guy you are working with may not be a good fit for you personality wise. As with all therapists, there are some better at doing the therapy than others and some who will work with you personality wise better than others. Finding a therapist you like and trust is half the battle with any kind of therapy.

In one of my support groups, they talked about cognitive therapy being very effective with anxiety and depression issues for everyone - not just those with Parkinson's! However, like you, I would want someone who has dealt with people who actually have Parkinson's and is familiar with the physical difficulties we face. While I think therapy can be extremely helpful with many of our issues, there are some things it can't fix. it might help with how we deal with the knowledge of not being able to fix some things, but it's definitely not going to fix the physical issues. Having a therapist that recognizes the difference is important. Good for you for sticking up for yourself. And what's with not having tissues? Really?? I'm with you on that one - not a good sign!!!

Your decision to try him again and see what happens sounds like a good approach. If you still don't click with him, definitely try someone else!. Maybe when you get into the PD clinic, they might have some good references for you.

Hugs and good luck!