Being in an intimate relationship is not at at all important to me, and I am not currently in an intimate relationship. I feel there are barriers to me dating. When to tell a new partner that you have Parkinson’s and what that can mean in the long term is very difficult and daunting. I do not feel differently about intimacy than before I was diagnosed, but I have to warn that I can be a restless sleeper and talk a lot in my sleep.
I am not experiencing any physical or emotional barriers to a satisfying intimate relationship. I have not undertaken any treatments that have impacted positively or negatively on my relationship, for example medications or procedures such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Worry about the future is impacting on my ability to have an intimate relationship. I have experienced vaginal dryness, and the strategies I have found useful or may be useful are talking to my partner about my concerns, and pelvic floor exercises. I feel it would be useful for the App to provide free access to a Relationship Therapist for online advice specifically in relation to young onset Parkinson’s.