Quality of Life

Submitted by: John Pepper
Category: Tips and Tricks

There are many ways you can help to slow down the progression of Pd, the main ones being: 1. embarking on a regular program of exercise; 2. the avoidance, where possible, of harmful stress; 3. the adoption of a positive attitude towards your a) Pd condition, b) medication c) relationships with other people d( your job e) regular exercise; 4. maintaining a regular program of mental exercise, including puzzles, word games, bridge and/or other card games requiring strategy and concentration, surfing the internet, chess, reading, computer games requiring mind and hand coordination, handicrafts, artwork, needlework, play-reading, writing letters and short stories and helping others; 5. learning how to use your conscious brain to control movements, with which you are having difficulty. 6. Dancing, which also requires concentration, because you have to coordinate the music with your leg and arm movements and also your interaction with your partner and other dancers. You will be amazed at how many regular daily activities can be performed, when actually concentrating on each and every single movement, which your sub-conscious brain is no longer able to control properly. 1. Walking is the main activity that can be re-learned, using the consious brain. This will result in your muscles being used properly, thereby regenerating themselves as a result of the exercise. It will also enable you to walk over uneven surfaces 2. Lifting food to your mouth, without spilling it, can be controlled properly by the conscious brain. 3. Swallowing food can also be controlled by the conscious brain, saving you from those terrible choking incidents. 4. Speaking, which includes breath control and the articulation of words. 5. Writing, which tends to get smaller and to stop after a short while. You can learn to write in a different way, such as printing in block letters, which you will find requires you to concentrate, while you write each letter 6. Breathing. Although breathing is a sub-consciously controlled function, the control of it can be taken over by the conscious brain purposely breathing faster or slower, or by even stopping momentarily. Sometimes, we find that we have not finished a sentence before we have run out of breath. This means that we need to consciously take a deaper breath before embarking on a long sentence. There are many times, especially while in the company of more than one person, when it becaomes difficult to remain part of the conversation. Not only do we sometimes find difficulty in accessing words, but we also find difficulty in cutting into the conversation, with a pertinant offering. All this requires concentration, and if you have found that you cannot take part in group discussions, because you battle to say your piece at an opportune moment, the result is that you hold back from actually taking part in group activities.

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