I absolutely love my support group people; they are so understanding about the everyday things I am facing as a CarePartner because they are living it too. But, and this is a big one, they are part of it. They are also immersed in this disease and being with them, while it is fun and supportive, is a piece of my whole PD journey. I need to find someone who is not connected to my husband’s illness and who can instead focus on me and issues I face. I know it sounds selfish, but I need someone in my circle who is able to focus specifically on my stuff and not because my husband has PD.

Since all my friends and acquaintances know the situation, I find myself searching for a professional. I need a counselor who can listen and provide advice as I age. I need someone who can help me figure out how to stop stuffing feelings away, especially about things that matter. I need to figure out how to better deal with my own concerns because they are getting in the way of living life fully. I need someone to talk to about me the Person, not me the CarePartner.

It’s difficult to admit that I need help and even more difficult to ask for it. I have a list of counselors that my Primary Care Provider gave me, now I need to narrow the search down. She suggested going to Psychologytoday.com to see if I could get more information about the providers and their specialties before making an appointment and that will be my next step. Then, I’ll make the call and hope for the best. It’s time I find someone just for me who won’t come with a PD filter.