MOMENTS OF VICTORY® – Maneesha Joshi Finds Peace Through Understanding

Living Well with Maneesha Joshi
Each month, we spotlight Moments of Victory® from people in our community. Today, we are happy to feature Maneesha Joshi, a person with Parkinson's from Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Maneesha's journey since diagnosis

I was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017, six years ago now. My doctor told me that exercise is the key to staying well. He shared some knowledge and some medication, but he also advised me to perform yoga daily, which I sincerely followed. It helped me a lot to remain almost normal.

I had bad days, too, but I managed to come out with determination. Depression and anxiety are big problems for me, too. My anxiety was so bad that I was afraid to leave my apartment. I was lucky enough to have great support from my family and doctors to combat this. I also worked on managing my depression symptoms myself. First, I accepted that I had it. I used to recite my favorite poems to entertain myself. I love music, too, and listen to my favorite music tracks. I worked on emotion regulation, and my depression symptoms became manageable.

Two or three years back, I stumbled upon the Davis Phinney Foundation's YouTube channel and immediately liked the videos. My favorites are "The Parkinson's You Don't See: Cognitive and Non-motor Symptoms" with Dr. Joanne Hamilton. I also wanted "DopaBeats" with Doug Pickard. I like these videos because they are very informative and share the stories of the same suffering.

How does maneesha live well each day?

Well, I practice yoga. I also like to play table tennis and play whenever I find a chance. (Note: Maneesha recently won a women's table tennis event trophy.) I listen to music. All the above things add to my dopamine, and I perform my daily chores efficiently. I cook food for my family; I stitch my clothes, go out alone, and live happily the everyday routine life.

What does maneesha wish she would have known when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's?

I didn't have the faintest idea that there are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's. When I learned about it after watching the video, I felt relief that this is something related to my disease and there is nothing alien about it.

What does Maneesha wish everyone living with Parkinson's knew about living well?

Exercise and remaining active is my mantra. And I play table tennis!

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Each month, we spotlight people from our Parkinson’s community who embody living well today – Moments of Victory®. Like Maneesha's, your story could be featured on our blog and Facebook page so others can learn from your experiences and victories.  

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