Fear and Denial in the Face of a Chronic Diagnosis

Lianna Marie, author of ''The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson’s Disease and Their Loved Ones'' and the upcoming book ''The Parkinson's Path,'' joins Suzanne to talk about the shared path families experience when a loved one gets a chronic diagnosis. Initially, there's denial. Lianna says what we often don't think about isn't about the loved one's feeling of denial, but caregivers as well. "I thought I could "save" her from Parkinson's," she confesses about having denial, "not that I could make it go away, but I could make things a lot easier. I'll put it on my shoulders. But I wasn't able to do that." Lianna explains, "People often come to me and say, my husband's in denial about his Parkinson's disease, and I ask for clarification, and they say, he doesn't want to get any help. But sometimes this is how some people adapt to a diagnosis, they need time. How long? Depends on each person. As caregivers and loved ones, we need to give them some time and space for that. Lianna explains the differences between adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Part of caregiver acceptance is to give them respect and allow them time to process the diagnosis, support them by asking them how we can be there for them rather than trying to take charge. Learn more at her website, All About Parkinson's.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.