Parkinson's Disease Blog

It’s to your advantage to get a grasp on some of the more commonly held myths about PD — what it is and what it isn’t.

PD is not:

• Contagious
• Curable (at this writing, but research is hopefully getting closer!)
• Normal for older people — or impossible for younger people
• A reason to make immediate life-changing decisions (like assuming you won’t be able to work or that you need to move)
• Bound to get you if you live long enough

PD is:

• Chronic (when you have it, you have it — like arthritis or diabetes)
• Slowly progressive (over time — often years) even with treatment
• Manageable (often for years) with proper treatment and key lifestyle changes
• Life-changing for you, your family, and friends (Whether that’s good or bad is up to you and how you decide to face it.)

In many ways these debunkers are the key messages we want you to take away from this book. If you have PD, you have an enormous challenge before you, but tens of thousands of people successfully face it every day. You can get through this — and we’re here to show you how.