Hey i am around 19 years of age and my mom has had PD since I was very young. We never really talk about her disease in my house, which really bothers me. Recently, i chose to go to school 3000 miles away but as of late have been rethinking that choice because of her PD. I have no idea what will be happening down the road but some recent backlash from family friends have made me pause and rethink the situation. Of course my family would never tell me they thought going to school so far would be a bad idea but in light of her PD I am not so sure. Does anyone have a similar situation or advice for me? thanks

I am a 58 year old PD with three children. I have been diagnosed about three years. My advice is more from a parent perspective. You need to start talking about the PD with your mom. You don't say much about your dad, but this PD stuff is a family disease as much as an individual disease.

You need to consider the rate of progression of the PD. My middle daughter went to London UK to live and work over 5 years ago. Sometimes I feel some resentment about that since 5 years of visits and such are gone. As the PD progresses, the good times will be fewer and the tougher times more numerous. You deserve to have your own life and I am sure your mom wants it that way, but it will be a whole lot easier to get home and be supportive if lived a few hundred miles instead of a few thousand miles away.

Good luck. Grown up decisions are tough sometimes.

I am a 58 year old PD with three children. I have been diagnosed about three years. My advice is more from a parent perspective. You need to start talking about the PD with your mom. You don't say much about your dad, but this PD stuff is a family disease as much as an individual disease.

You need to consider the rate of progression of the PD. My middle daughter went to London UK to live and work over 5 years ago. Sometimes I feel some resentment about that since 5 years of visits and such are gone. As the PD progresses, the good times will be fewer and the tougher times more numerous. You deserve to have your own life and I am sure your mom wants it that way, but it will be a whole lot easier to get home and be supportive if lived a few hundred miles instead of a few thousand miles away.

Good luck. Grown up decisions are tough sometimes.

My mom has needed me my whole life or so I believed. She was always very vocal and demanding. I didn't spend much time "creating me". There was a small space for me. My mom has PD but depression and anxiety as well. At some point I broke and felt tremendous resentment and lost. I felt like I had no life, no me. I went from that to trying to find time for me and allowing myself a life. Balancing things out can be hard. It is for me and years later it still is but I'm trying to remember that I have a right to life and happiness and peace too and not to feel guilty about decisions that I make. Family can be unsupportive at times too while others can be very supportive.

What ever decision you make about college is ok, the hard part is deciding. If you want to be closer to your mom, you can have a successful experience at a college closer to home. If you want to stay at your college that is ok too. You can call your mom as often as you'd like, perhaps even every day if that is what you want. She can be a part of your life and you a part of hers.

Anyway I wrote confused because I still am and still trying to figure things out...

Good luck to you...