Mental Health Resouces
Parkinson's Disease and Mental Health
Research indicates that non-motor symptoms, including depression and anxiety, can have a huge impact on quality of life with Parkinson's and need to be attended to just as much as physical/motor symptoms do. Mental health therapy can be extremely beneficial in addressing mood and processing living with Parkinson's. Click here to learn more.
Finding a Therapist
We recommend looking for therapists who say they specialize in things like "chronic illness," "medical conditions," and "new diagnosis." Specializations in "aging" and in "caregiving" can apply as well. They may or may not have had experience with Parkinson's disease but will be familiar with common struggles, such as ambiguous loss (identity, independence), anticipatory grief, and impact on relationship dynamics. Psychology Today can be a useful website to start looking for therapists. It allows you to search by location and to apply other filters.
For more information and assistance with your mental health questions, please reach out to Maggie Ivancic, the Center Coordinator & Clinical Social Worker at UNC Neurology, Movement Disorders Center. You can contact her via email at mivancic@neurology.unc.edu or by phone at 919-843-2777.​​