Being happy, and releasing Dopamine!
This month I explore more about what it means to have Parkinson's.
Here is the science bit.
A neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominantly the dopamine producing
(“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.
Reference: Parkinsons
I guess the most famous person to be dealt this blow is Michael J Fox.
He is at the forefront of research and more information is available at the
Michael
J Fox Foundation.
There is also evidence to suggest that Deep Brain Stimulation through implants can
affect control and movement.
Reference: John Hopkins
Medicine.
My dad had Parkinson’s and I am trying to understand what may have led to
this debilitating disease.
I have a passion for scientific knowledge especially when it involves us
humans, helping ourselves by understanding how we are affected
physiologically by…well just about everything around us; people and
environment as much as diet and exercise.
And as much as I would like to quote fascinating stuff from my pile of
Scientific American Mind mags, I don’t want to lose you. ;-)
So, what are the factors in your life that can affect and bring about
fundamental changes in our health?
As I am constantly trying to put my 30 years experience of live in care work
to good use. Parkinson’s is a particularly good example of… Why individual
pleasure
is important and how to release that all importance dopamine.
Once science told us that dopamine plays a big part I started to recall just how many of my Parkinson’s clients would cease to have tremors as soon as they were involved with something that gave them pleasure.
If you are a carer, a friend or family member of someone needing care it’s worth trying to find out what makes someone happy. In other words, never assume, even with the most debilitating cases, that they won’t be able to do something.
On the contrary, I now realise that I can pinpoint the beginnings of dad’s
symptoms when he gave up the thing that gave him immense pleasure. In his
case, horse racing, or more precisely betting on the horses.
Every Saturday morning was filled with excitement. He was never an early
bird the rest of the week but woe betide the paperboy if the newspaper was
not landing on the mat by 7.30 a.m
The next few hours were spent poring over the facts and figures of upcoming
races.
All part of the fun.
His mood would be elevated and his gait noticeably improved.
Once the races were in full flow the dopamine ( I didn’t recognise this at
the time) would be flowing off the charts!
And then suddenly, one day he stopped. He never told us why but we could
guess.
My dad loved all sports but thinking back nothing appeared to give him the
same amount of pleasure as his Saturday morning ‘hit.’
I can think of two more extremely noticeable changes in Parkison’s symptoms,
also men but two very different people and circumstances.
Many years ago I cared for a lovely gentleman who had been a composer and
music professor. He was in his 90’s and had no discernible short term
memory. In fact he had very little memory at all. He walked with a stick and
was characteristically slow and unsteady.
Then he would sit at his grand piano and everything about him changed.
His posture improved, he would give a gentle smile and I would sit eagerly
in an armchair, at his side but out of his line of vision.
I remember almost holding my breath. Could he transport himself back into
his pre Parkinson’s days? Could his hands obey the one part of the brain
that was ‘undamaged?’ The part that holds music. He could. It was
wonderful.
He often had sheet music in front of him but I had no way of being sure if
it correlated to what he was playing. This was pre mobile phone and apps to
recognise music, days.
So, was he playing from memory? And as he had been eating with a knife and
fork since childhood, how come he couldn’t remember how these metal
contraptions now worked to enable him to eat unaided?
So many questions. So many parts of the brain. Fascinating.
My second example comes from a more unlikely source. My doctor in France.
I had been recommended to him so I was perfectly relaxed on my first visit. He
was
also an osteopath, I was seeing him about problems with my cervical spine. C2-6
in
case you want to know ;-)
He was ‘old school’. He asked me a few questions and looked at me when I
answered as
opposed to (in my limited experience of UK GPs) typing and looking at a screen.
As began to jot down some notes ( yep, pen onto paper) it was impossible not to
notice that he ‘had the shakes’.
As anyone who knows me knows, I don't have a Poker face and no doubt my unease
became clear.
He finished writing and I sat on the couch as instructed waiting for the
aforementioned hands to be placed on my neck.
Luckily for both of us he approached from behind. My gut was saying…It will be
ok.
And it was. The moment his hands touched my shoulders ( he told me to relax!) I
guess they were pretty much up around my ears, his hands became totally still.
Now I have to add at this point that it is not common practice to manipulate
one’s
spine so quickly these days but years ago it was.
And I remember very clearly being almost tearful at the relief that it brought
about.
The doctor returned to his desk and wrote a prescription for some
anti-inflammatories.
True to form, the shakes were back and whether he could read my mind or not I
don’t
know but he gave me a wry smile as he waved (literally) the piece of paper at
me.
As I said, dad had Parkinson's and I don’t want it.
I am trying my best to make sure I get a dopamine fix at least once a
day.
Prevention is always going to be better than cure and unless your dopamine fix
is at
the bottom of a whiskey bottle or making bookies rich, I guess it can’t hurt.
If you are a carer, a friend or family member of someone needing care it’s worth
trying to find out what makes someone happy. In other words, never assume, even
with
the most debilitating cases, that they won’t be able to do something.
Happy pleasure seeking!