It is well known that certain medications
for Parkinson's have some pretty strange
side effects such as obsessive behaviour. There are many documented cases of
people suddenly becoming gamblers, losing large amounts of money, their home
and ultimately destroying their family.
Other obsessive behaviour may be displayed by a sudden out of character enjoyment of shopping; the instant gratification and excitement of purchasing something new which brings in a whole new meaning to: "shop till you drop" is the side effect that I experienced. Thankfully the "shopping sprees" were spotted immediately for my sudden interest in shoes, bags or anything eye-catching was so not me! Realising pretty quickly what was happening, I was able to keep it in check, and did little damage to my husbands credit cards.
Changes in character, where sudden interest and participation in a particular activity, a patient may appear to almost become someone else in the eyes of their family. Maybe the disease itself or the medication has removed fear of the unknown and danger of making a fool of oneself, which could seem inconsequential once living with Parkinson's disease. People already stare, make me feel isolated, resulting in sticking out like a sore thumb, so trying something new or what may seem out of character, may simply be due to the fact, that suffering Parkinson's, there isn't much left that can be more humiliating or earth shattering. Following this train of thought, the disease has enabled me to be all I can be, instead of hiding in the shadows like a wall flower. I'm quite certain I am not alone in arriving at the conclusion of thinking "to hell with what other people think". Getting to know this new person can be disturbing for the immediate family, unnerving and upsetting the applecart. With age everyone's tastes alter, one grows emotionally and changes with the years, which I think is the normal progression in life. Therefore it is all the more understandable when coping with chronic illness; one looks at life from a different perspective.
Other obsessive behaviour may be displayed by a sudden out of character enjoyment of shopping; the instant gratification and excitement of purchasing something new which brings in a whole new meaning to: "shop till you drop" is the side effect that I experienced. Thankfully the "shopping sprees" were spotted immediately for my sudden interest in shoes, bags or anything eye-catching was so not me! Realising pretty quickly what was happening, I was able to keep it in check, and did little damage to my husbands credit cards.
Changes in character, where sudden interest and participation in a particular activity, a patient may appear to almost become someone else in the eyes of their family. Maybe the disease itself or the medication has removed fear of the unknown and danger of making a fool of oneself, which could seem inconsequential once living with Parkinson's disease. People already stare, make me feel isolated, resulting in sticking out like a sore thumb, so trying something new or what may seem out of character, may simply be due to the fact, that suffering Parkinson's, there isn't much left that can be more humiliating or earth shattering. Following this train of thought, the disease has enabled me to be all I can be, instead of hiding in the shadows like a wall flower. I'm quite certain I am not alone in arriving at the conclusion of thinking "to hell with what other people think". Getting to know this new person can be disturbing for the immediate family, unnerving and upsetting the applecart. With age everyone's tastes alter, one grows emotionally and changes with the years, which I think is the normal progression in life. Therefore it is all the more understandable when coping with chronic illness; one looks at life from a different perspective.
Another disquieting scenario that sometimes
will manifest due to drug induced side effects, is an insatiable desire for sex
which can cause considerable problems in the bedroom. There have been extreme
cases reported of people having extramarital affairs resulting in divorce and sadly a
breakdown of the family unit.
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