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- Autor del artículo: Max Tomlinson
- Etiqueta del artículo: John Coleman PD
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In August 1995, at 52 years of age, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Parkinson’s disease on the Hoehn and Yahr scale, along with early-stage Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).
The diagnosis followed months of uncertainty, consultations and conflicting opinions. Some doctors were kind and attentive. Others were dismissive and detached. One professor did not examine me at all; he read my referral letter, assumed I was depressed, and prescribed a medication with adverse effects mimicking my symptoms. It took multiple visits simply to receive a clear diagnosis.
The experience left me shaken — but it also pushed me to ask deeper questions.
If I was facing progressive neurological decline, I wanted to understand why.
Over several weeks of reflection and study, I began to piece together a pattern. My life had been marked by prolonged stress — beginning at conception and continuing into adulthood. I had experienced significant trauma, personal loss, financial hardship, physical assaults resulting in head injuries, and years of high-pressure work. I had also smoked from the age of nine, relied on caffeine and alcohol, and eaten what I now recognise as a nutrient-poor Western diet.
Food had been to fill me — not nourishment.
There were environmental exposures too. Work in a copper mine and in film processing had likely exposed me to toxic chemicals. At the time, little was published about neurotoxins and Parkinson’s disease, but I suspected these factors had contributed. I had also been exposed to cleaning chemicals and herbicides.
Faced with my diagnosis, I believed I had two choices. Accept increasing disability and rely solely on medication, or explore whether addressing the potential root causes could improve my life. I chose to try.
There was no roadmap. No structured non-medical programme. I was divorced, financially struggling and renting. I still had to work long shifts managing busy operating theatres. But I stopped alcohol and caffeine. I had already quit smoking. I began changing what I could.
The next two years became a journey of disciplined experimentation and self-responsibility.
I sought support from practitioners who were willing to work alongside me: a homeopath, craniosacral therapist, psychologist, herbalist and flower essence counsellor. I added Bowen therapy and later Aqua Hydration Formulas. But the greater work was internal.
I changed my mindset from victimhood to responsibility. I meditated daily. I moved my body even when every fibre of me wanted to lie still. I cleaned up my diet as much as finances allowed. I distanced myself from relationships that drained me and restructured family dynamics to protect my wellbeing.
I kept a meticulous journal: symptoms, treatments, emotions, insights. That journal became my compass. Progress was slow — often glacial — but measurable.
In 1996, despite fatigue and doubt, I resumed part-time study toward my Advanced Diploma. I was determined to complete it, even if I never practised.
Gradually, the improvements accumulated. Strength increased. Symptoms stabilised. Function returned. I was too cautious to call it recovery — until a close friend said something I had been afraid to think: “You no longer have Parkinson’s disease.”
It was the second half of 1998.
Soon after, I completed my studies, wrote a research paper on Parkinson’s, and qualified as a naturopath. The years since have been dedicated to helping others explore what is possible when we address not only symptoms, but aetiological pathways — stress, nutrition, toxic load, trauma, infection, resilience and belief.
My story is not about rejecting medicine. It is about changing the narrative to include the possibility of wellness, and reducing reliance on “cure”. It’s about recognising that the body is dynamic, responsive and deeply influenced by how we live, who we listen to and what we believe.
There are no guarantees. But there is always capacity for change. If we do nothing, we WILL get worse. If we make changes, we CAN get better.
John C Coleman NDLancefield, AustraliaFebruary 2026
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