Parkinson’s and mental health issues

Written By: Renee Rouleau, B.S., PhD student at the Jacobs School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo

Mental health issues, an ongoing area of interest of mine, has led me to pursuing this traditionally taboo topic for my part of my doctoral research. With that said, let’s pull back the curtain on the topic of mental illness, bringing it to the forefront.
Rarely do we hear people openly discuss their acute and/or chronic psychiatric issues. If we have cancer, diabetes, a broken leg, Parkinson’s, would we be so hush hush about it? I don’t think so. So, why if our soul is broken, do we keep that a secret? Is this resistance to opening up about psychiatric issues due to lack of having a support system? Or, is not being able to articulate these issues? Or, does one fear that
 
others will judge them or shy away from them if they are mentally ill? Or, does one’s ego get in the way, not wanting others to think they are “less than” the strong persona they project. Or, is it lack of knowledge regarding what IS mental illness? It’s most likely a combination of these.
We need more advocacy in the area of mental health through education in our schools, in the home, in our society overall. Written in a digestible format, this article will educate the reader on the topic of mental health. Mental health awareness is an integral component of bringing together the body, spirit, and mind.

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Reach out to me anytime.
Yours, Coach B

Rock Steady Boxing Certified Coach
Certified Parkinson's Disease Fitness Specialist ISSA Certified Personal Trainer