The shaking palsy : living with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

It is difficult to understand what it is like to live with Parkinson's disease (PD) unless one actually experiences it. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to explore the PD experience of five Maltese, female patients. The research question specifically focuses on the psychological effects of PD, and how patients adjust and cope with this disease. These issues are important because PD has a multifaceted effect on patients' biological, psychological and social lives, making it important to address all aspects. Furthermore, being a chronic and progressive disease, one has to inevitably learn to adjust one's life and attitude in order to survive and ensure good quality of life. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used as a qualitative research approach to explore the experience of PD patients as authentically as possible. The results demonstrate that PD is much more than the slow physical deterioration that it seems to be. It has a major psychological impact on the lives of the individuals who find themselves constantly losing against their body. With no PD cure their only option is to accept PD, and cope with their life with additional support from others.