Can someone please put me right here…
I thought (wrongly, it seems) that Parkinson’s was a mental illness (because of the lack of dopamine in the brain, amongst other issues). However, I was informed by a medical person, last week, that this is not so (and they found my thinking kind of ‘funny’).
My question is therefore …what ‘bracket’ or kind of illness is Parkinsons?
Thanks in advance
Hippy x
Hi Hippy,
I think perhaps ‘Mental illness’ refers to illnesses that directly distort the ‘Thought process’ without necessarily affecting the body’s physical disposition; Although the term Mental illness is possibly a little out of date. 
Where as with Parkinson’s disease, physical changes occur within the nervous system to affect the abilities of bodily functions.
Parkinson’s is a disabling illness
Hi @Hippy,
I can see why you might be confused.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition. This means that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. We have detailed information on ‘what is Parkinson’s’ on our website so do feel free to check it out for my clarity.
Best wishes,
Reah
