What is the pathway to freedom for anyone experiencing symptoms of Parkinsons?  do any or all of the following reactions resonate?

  • I have been dealt a horrible setback I did not deserve.
  • I have done nothing to deserve Parkinson’s symptoms.
  • I am not guilty of wrong doing.
  • I have been imprisoned unjustly.
  • I have lost my freedom.
  • I have lost friends because of my circumstances
  • I cannot escape my circumstances.
  • I make valiant efforts to escape but I remain jailed.

Well? These resentments are identical to individuals imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. There are estimated to be 120,000 inmates serving sentences in United States prisons who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit. Since 1989, 2000 have been exonerated and freed.

People who experience Parkinson’s symptoms become are also wrongly convicted prisoners in their own right. How does anyone survive when they are victims of imprisonment?  What is the pathway to freedom? What have wrongly convicted prisoners done to remain sane? How were they able to maintain the dedication to pursue their freedom despite the fact many remained imprisoned to 10-20 years before being released from jail?

Stories of recovery and vindication have been documented in a recent book edited by
Laura Caldwell and Leslie Klinger titled Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongly Convicted. One of the cases is told by former Jazz Musician Antoine Day who was falsely imprisoned for 10 years. He concluded that his mental state would be dependent on his ability to connect with his past.

Through persistence and clear purpose, he succeeded in convincing prison officials to provide musical instruments to inmates who shared his
love of music. Day formed a prison jazz band which helped keep himself and other inmates sane. Inner resolve and commitment were critical to securing his ultimate freedom. His persistence paid off in the end.

Be inspired by the wisdom of Antoinne Day and other wrongly convicted prisoners who refused to give up. In small part it is about persisting in the face of formidable obstacles. In large part it is about embracing your life passions. How can you best activate the process of recovery?

  • Reinvigorate the thrills of what gave you excitement and joy in the past.
  • Embrace your life’s calling.
  • Respond to the call of your soul’s longing.
  • Take the steps you know in your heart, mind and soul will ultimately lead to freedom.

What have you loved in the past that you have abandoned? Embrace it now. That is what Antoinne Day did. Follow his leadership into a new life outside the confines of confinement and restriction.

Persist. The solution will find you at the right time and in the right place. May it not take as long as 10 years to celebrate symptomatic freedom as it did for Antoinne.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery 
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease