Who Gets Parkinson's?

Genes, inflammation, diet ... There are thoughts on what might predispose or cause a person to develop Parkinson's disease. Posy wonders if having a classic Type A personality is a factor.

Do you consider yourself, either now or in the past, a Type A personality? Are you motivated, argumentative, energetic, a perfectionist? Do you give your all? Are your standards unrealistically high?

Type A Personality and Parkinson's

Posy often wonders, if she had been more easygoing and content with the status quo, would she still have ended up with Parkinson’s? Posy’s high-octane, perfectionist, all-or-nothing, competitive personality caused her to overdo things, and, in 2002, she "burnt out." Relocated to the United Kingdom after her devastating divorce, she struggled to cope with life in the fast lane.

Posy knows many of you are familiar with that issue of burning the candle at both ends with zero time to relax, financial worries, coping with children, working very long hours, and facing daily animosity.

Posy was trying to teach in a very difficult school where the behavior was frighteningly violent at times, attending rehearsals for concerts and shows at the weekends, taking her daughter to activities, helping to run Sunday School and so on.

She became very unwell, and then BOOM! She crashed and burned. Did this trigger the onset of Parkinson’s, even though this was not diagnosed until 15 years later?

Feeling overloaded

Were you ever overloaded like this? You may think Posy’s problems were insignificant compared with yours, but that is the point: If you feel overloaded, then you are overloaded. If so, what happened to you? Did you fall apart?

What should Posy (and maybe you) have done? Take a break? "Ha! Ha! Ha!" you mock. "A break? What’s that?" In fact, do Type As even know how to give themselves a break?

Type B personality

Is there a person with Parkinson's out there who is definitely not a Type A? Were you someone who never rushed, but trod a measured pace through life, taking time for your own needs and getting just enough done?

Were you always more patient, forgiving, and balanced in your expectations of yourself and hence you are able to accept the slower pace of life that Parkinson's creates? (Of course, the pain and other issues of Parkinson’s may not allow you to see your illness in this light.)

Problems before diagnosis

It seems that as our dopamine depletes, Parkies suffered years of ailments and problems before being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. According to the specialist to whom Posy presented with a shaky hand, "By this time the damage has been done."

Are all people with Parkinson's more susceptible to a myriad of illnesses because they have a high level of inflammation in their bodies? The inflammation does not necessarily stop in their brains, saying, "Okay, I've done enough damage. Dopamine target destroyed. Time to stop now." It can invade many other places at the same time, especially the gut.¹

Did you, as a Type A or Type B person, suffer any of the following possible ailments in the years leading up to your diagnosis?

1. Did you become unreasonably tired?
2. Did you suffer a major depressive episode?
3. Did you have a frozen shoulder?
4. Neck problems?
5. Migraines?
6. Carpal tunnel syndrome?
7. Knee problems?
8. Shingles?

There are many more ailments that Posy could list, all of which affected her in the run-up to her diagnosis, and many of which have been documented as early signs of Parkinson’s.

What is your personality type? Posy would love to know which type of personality you have or had. Share your experiences in the comment section below.