It started with gambling, hypersexuality. Just generally anything that involved risk taking
At the time of carrying out behaviours it was less about the activity, and more about the excitement and the thrill
Impulsive behaviours manifest in a variety of ways - in some people they can be very subtle
Some people just start doing hobbies that they always did a bit more often
Beyond that, there are varieties of behaviour that cause more concern
We've had some patients who start to shop excessively, and start to spend very large amounts of money
We've had others who start to gamble, we also see a change in sexuality in patients
Some patients become hypersexual, and that causes difficulty in their relationship with their spouse
So we must be impulse and control disorder as a very broad spectrum of behaviours
From fairly mild behaviour that can be tolerated, to extremes of behaviour that can be very detrimental
To a relationship and to an individual
The risk factors for impulsive and compulsive behaviour are being young, being male,
Having early on set Parkinson's disease, having a personal or family history of previous addictive
Or compulsive behaviour, and also probably having some affective disorders such as depression
Panic attacks, or anxiety can also predispose people to impulsive or compulsive disorders
There's a family history of alcoholism and gambling on my mothers side of the family
My grandfather was a gambler, I had an uncle who was an alcoholic, and another uncle who was a gambler
So there is definitely some history there, and my father also had a drink problem
I didn't have a drink problem, and I didn't have a gambling problem - but there clearly was some genetic
Tendency towards that, added to the fact that my age and I was single. I fitted a profile of somebody
That was quite high risk for those potential issues
Yes, I mean I have to accept that this is a development of what I describe as the 'shopping gene' that I
Inherited from my father and he from his mother. There is a family trait of shopping, that unfortunately one of
My sons has acquired as well. And so I can see that it's a, I had the tendency beforehand, but it is different
It feels different
I've been taking them now for many years. Yes, they've caused problems, but they've also helped me
Still be mobile, still be active, still to be doing what I'm doing with Parkinson's UK
Generally, after 18 years since diagnosis I'm not in bad shape, and those drugs have helped me
So, be cautious but don't be frightened
I'm not totally sure whether it is that treatment, or whether this is willpower, or whether it's a slow version
Of the condition that she has, but she's doing remarkably well for being this number of years
Into the diagnosis. So, I would say to them - there are real upsides
To taking this, but you've got to be very aware of the downsides
It's always important to include a spouse or a partner in discussions about impulse control disorder
The main reason is that the patient is not aware of these behaviours, they are not doing it on purpose
Often they're the last to know. These are subconscious behaviours, so it's vital to have a spouse involved right
From the start because in a sense, they're the clinicians eyes and ears on the ground, they're the people
Who are going to tell you if there's a disorder because patients are often the last people to tell you about it
The compulsive behaviour developed slowly, and I think it took my husband to point out that I was getting to
Behave a bit irrationally, and not in ways that I used to behave
So it crept up insidiously rather than suddenly happening