Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) Condition – Tim’s Story
Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) Condition – Tim’s Story
Tim is from Montana and cares for his wife, Maddie, with TD and schizophrenia. Maddie was diagnosed with schizophrenia and began treatment in her 20s, but recently was diagnosed with TD. Tim talks about the difficulties they had in getting a diagnosis and how they originally thought it might be Parkinson’s. Tim emphasizes the importance of making sure you have all of your loved one’s medication info updated and on hand to make parts of this process easier.
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a condition that many family caregivers haven’t even heard of when their loved one gets a diagnosis. So, what is TD?
It is described as involuntary movements – mild, moderate, or severe – in different parts of the body. These movements can occur in the limbs, torso, jaw, tongue, and/or eyes. TD develops in individuals who are prescribed certain mental health medications (called antipsychotics) that are used to treat:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Anxiety
Caring for a loved one with TD has its own set of unique challenges. These videos highlight the stories of different caregivers and their loved ones living with TD.
