I wish I could say that the above statement wasn’t true, but unfortunately it is. My greatest anxiety comes from the unknown qualities of this disease, the uncertainties about where it is leading and what new challenges tomorrow will bring. Added to that are my personal concerns about my own health, will I be able to provide the care my husband needs as things progress? Is it any wonder I am living in a constant state of anxiety?

I tried to find advice on-line for caregiver anxiety and was redirected to depression and burnout. I want help before I reach that point, not after. I know that Connie Carpenter Phinney of The Davis Phinney Foundation has a tool called “Rewriting the Rulebook”. It reminds me that I do have some control in this journey, albeit limited, and that I just need to define my “rules” so that I can have a positive life. It’s not a roadmap but it can help me create boundaries as I stumble along and may alleviate some of my daily anxiety. I don’t always know what to expect but I can have a plan on how I will react.

If I recognize when my anxiety begins to grow, I can stop for a moment and consider where it is coming from. If possible, I take a journaling break, if that doesn’t work, I take a couple of deep breaths and try to shake it off. Movement helps me deal with feelings of anxiety, breathing helps me, writing helps me, yoga really helps me. To break anxiety’s hold over my emotions, I use any activity that demands my total attention. I find something to remind me that life is bigger than my husband’s diagnosis of PD, and then I am ready to continue on.

For more on how to address your feelings of anxiety see Anxiety and Caregiving (familycaregiversonline.net). To get your own copy of Connie’s Rulebook, visit here Parkinson’s Care Partner Resources – Davis Phinney Foundation.