Positive Versus Negative Thinking with Parkinson's Disease

I must admit that since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD), I have had bouts of positive and negative thinking. Since everyone has a different experience dealing with PD, I know it can trigger positive or negative thinking.

However, I also know that for me, there is no purpose for negative thinking, except if I am planning a pity party! Negative thinking, in my opinion, is not good for my health when dealing with PD symptoms.

Practicing positive thinking

I try to practice positive thinking every day because it helps me handle my symptoms. With a positive attitude, I am able to handle the trials and challenges of living with PD in a healthier way.

By adopting a positive way of thinking, I have improved myself emotionally, mentally, and have decreased my stress levels. In addition, my anxiety level is not so prominent concerning the future progression of this insidious disease.

Utilizing positive self-talk

I think positive thoughts and I continue to repeat these thoughts regularly. As a result, my mood is more optimistic. On the other hand, if I am thinking negatively, this type of self-talk is not good for me. It causes me to feel sad, depressed, and does not serve a purpose. I do not benefit from rehashing negativity in my life.

While utilizing positive self-talk, I do not get depressed. My psychological and emotional state respond favorably, and I reduce stress. Because stress can take a physical toll on the body, by not being stressed out all the time, I can improve my health. Moreover, chronic stress can impact life-expectancy. Through positive thinking, I have developed better coping skills during stress provoking times in my life.^1,2

Reframing my thoughts

When I think negatively, I am amplifying the harmful aspects of my thought process and reducing the impact of positive thinking. With negative thinking, I anticipate the worst thing that could happen without any indication that something else is imminent. It causes my views on life to be black or white, with no gray areas.

Hence, it was necessary to adjust my outlook. Now when I start to think negatively about living with PD, I try to put a positive twist to those thoughts. When difficult news or situations occur, I try to reframe it by finding some humor at those times to destress the situation.

I try not to be with people who are negative. I prefer to surround myself with positivity and positive people because negativity stresses me out. Positivity edifies me. To further support this, I think of things that have happened in my life that made me feel thankful.

How exercise impacts my mood

Exercising also positively affects my mood. When I participate in physical therapy, I change my dark thoughts into bright ones. For example, I used to say to my physical therapist, "I cannot do that in therapy. It’s too hard for me," or "I am not getting any better at trying to walk." Now, I reframe it by saying, "I will give it another try."

If I am not in the mood to do physical exercise for an hour, I say, "I can do this exercise by breaking it down into smaller parts." I feel that practicing positive self-talk can be a beneficial way of helping people with Parkinson's disease.