You may recognize Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Board member Ryan Reynolds from his world-renowned Hollywood career or through his entrepreneurial work. Ryan is now using his platform as part of the national educational campaign, “More to Parkinson’s,” to help more people and families living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to better understand hallucinations and delusions, which are some of the nonmotor symptoms that can occur in the disease. In the cover story for this month's issue of People magazine, Ryan opens up about his and his mother Tammy’s lived experience as care partners for his father James (Jim) Reynolds, who lived with PD and experienced hallucinations, which are seeing things that aren't there, and delusions, which lead a person to believe things that aren't true. 

In this exclusive story, Ryan explains how he struggled to understand hallucinations and delusions as part of his father’s journey:  

“At the time I just thought, ‘My dad’s losing his mind.’ My father was really slipping down a rabbit hole where he was struggling to differentiate between reality and fiction. And subsequently everyone else in his life was losing the bedrock faith and trust that they had on his point of view. There would be conspiratorial webs that he would spin about ‘this is happening’ and that ‘these people might be after me’ or ‘this person is out to get me.’ And just stuff that was such a wild departure from the man that I grew up with and knew.” 

Not everyone with PD experiences hallucinations or delusions. Like all Parkinson’s symptoms, if, when and to what degree they occur varies from person to person. But it’s normal and perfectly understandable to worry about the possibility of these symptoms. 

Emphasizing the ripple effect a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis can have on a family and the impact it had personally on his mother Tammy, Ryan shares: 

“My mom, I think, lived a life of true isolation with my dad for many, many years. And when somebody is not necessarily speaking from their baseline or right mental state, they can make life really tough for the only person [there]. My mom was a backboard for my father during that time, but it really broke her. Caregiver fatigue is very real — it’s one of probably the most unreported side effects of diseases like this. I wish the resources that are available now to treat that part of Parkinson’s existed, or at least we knew about it then, because it would’ve really given a lot of hope.” 

Access our free resources to learn more about what these symptoms can look like, how to talk about hallucinations and delusions with loved ones and doctors and what medication and non-medication strategies may help you and your care partners ease these symptoms. Then, sign up for the Foundation’s upcoming webinar on Thursday, September 19: A Conversation on Parkinson’s-Related Hallucinations and Delusions, to learn more from experts and ask your questions.  

Read the full story online or pick up a copy of People Magazine at your local newsstand.  

More of Ryan and Tammy’s story can be found through the "More to Parkinson’s" educational campaign by Acadia Pharmaceuticals. Acadia is a committee member of MJFF’s Parkinson’s Disease Education Consortium — an alliance of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms that supports MJFF’s commitment to providing high-quality education resources for the Parkinson's community while directing MJFF donor dollars toward research. While the generous support of our consortium members makes our educational programs possible, their donations do not influence MJFF content, perspective or panelist selection.