Richie Pikunis

Parkinson’s advocate sharing 30+ years of truth, humor, and hard-earned insight.

Young-Onset Parkinson’s

A Safety Net You’re Not Allowed to Climb Out Of

Mar 7, 2026

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7 min read

A Safety Net You’re Not Allowed to Climb Out Of

Richie Pikunis

Newly Diagnosed

Mar 7, 2026

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7 min read

MY TOP QUESTION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED PARKINSON’S PATIENTS

Richie Pikunis

Young-Onset Parkinson’s

Why Parkinson’s Patients Lose SSDI (Even When They’re Clearly Disabled)

Mar 7, 2026

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4 min read

Why Parkinson’s Patients Lose SSDI (Even When They’re Clearly Disabled)

Richie Pikunis

🎙️ “You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Shaped Different”

Jun 15, 2025

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12 min read

🎙️ “You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Shaped Different”

From Richie — Creator of Voice Unshaken

Richie Pikunis

From Breakdown to Breakthrough: A Descent Into Darkness and the Fight to Find the Light Again

Jun 14, 2025

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12 min read

From Breakdown to Breakthrough: A Descent Into Darkness and the Fight to Find the Light Again

By Richie Pikunis From: Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

The Night I Lost My Mind (and Almost Everything Else)

Jun 13, 2025

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6 min read

The Night I Lost My Mind (and Almost Everything Else)

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

Jun 12, 2025

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7 min read

The Dope in Dopamine

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

Dopamine’s a Hell of a Drug (And an Even Worse Dance Partner)

Jun 7, 2025

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6 min read

Dopamine’s a Hell of a Drug (And an Even Worse Dance Partner)

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

Jun 6, 2025

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3 min read

No White Coat, Just a Truth Bomb

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

Because Walking in a Straight Line is Just Too Mainstream

Jun 5, 2025

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4 min read

Because Walking in a Straight Line is Just Too Mainstream

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

You Can Name It Parkinson’s—But You Can’t Name My Limit

Jun 5, 2025

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4 min read

You Can Name It Parkinson’s—But You Can’t Name My Limit

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

When the Words Didn’t Come, the Truth Still Did

Jun 4, 2025

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4 min read

When the Words Didn’t Come, the Truth Still Did

By Richie Pikunis ~ Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

I Didn’t Say Goodbye—And I Didn’t Know Why?

Jun 3, 2025

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3 min read

I Didn’t Say Goodbye—And I Didn’t Know Why?

By Richie Pikunis - Letters from the Future ~ A Journey Back to Myself

Richie Pikunis

Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Jun 2, 2025

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6 min read

Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

One Story at a Time

Richie Pikunis

Oh, He Was Just Tired—Of Carrying Everyone Else’s Damn Trauma

May 29, 2025

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2 min read

Oh, He Was Just Tired—Of Carrying Everyone Else’s Damn Trauma

But sure, let’s keep calling it “selfish.” That’s easier than fixing anything.

Richie Pikunis

The Simple Pleasures Parkinson’s Jacked from Me

May 28, 2025

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4 min read

The Simple Pleasures Parkinson’s Jacked from Me

Richie Pikunis, your friendly neighborhood shaky guy

Richie Pikunis

Phantom Cookies and Rotten Lies: Parkinson’s and the Nose That Knows Too Much

May 27, 2025

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3 min read

Phantom Cookies and Rotten Lies: Parkinson’s and the Nose That Knows Too Much

By Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

Let’s Talk Brain Juice: My Personal Ranking of Neurotransmitters That Make Up The Cast of Characters in My Brain Drama

May 24, 2025

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5 min read

Let’s Talk Brain Juice: My Personal Ranking of Neurotransmitters That Make Up The Cast of Characters in My Brain Drama

By Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

Parkinson’s Awareness

It’s Not Just Shaky Hands: The Whole-Body Reality of Parkinson’s Disease

May 23, 2025

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5 min read

It’s Not Just Shaky Hands: The Whole-Body Reality of Parkinson’s Disease

By Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

Dopamine Agonist Side Effects

When the Cure Becomes the Crash: The Dangerous Reality of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome

May 22, 2025

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3 min read

When the Cure Becomes the Crash: The Dangerous Reality of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome

By Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

Parkinson’s Awareness

Depression vs. Apathy in Parkinson’s: Am I Sad... or Do I Just Not Give a Damn Anymore?

May 21, 2025

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3 min read

Depression vs. Apathy in Parkinson’s: Am I Sad... or Do I Just Not Give a Damn Anymore?

By Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

Parkinson’s Awareness

Why I Never Gave Up—And What a 20-Pound Dog Had to Do With It

May 21, 2025

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4 min read

Why I Never Gave Up—And What a 20-Pound Dog Had to Do With It

(Still Shaking. Still Showing Up. Still covered in more fur than dignity.)

Richie Pikunis

Dogs-know

The Only One Who Truly Understood Without a Word

May 19, 2025

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4 min read

The Only One Who Truly Understood Without a Word

Millie knew before I did—bad day or worse day. And she never left.

Richie Pikunis

Parkinson’s Awareness

The Top 5 Things I Wish People Knew About Young-Onset Parkinson’s

May 18, 2025

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6 min read

The Top 5 Things I Wish People Knew About Young-Onset Parkinson’s

How Parkinson’s Tried to Shut Me Up—And Why I Won’t Let It.

Richie Pikunis

Dopamine Agonists: The Highs, the Lows, and the Hell No One Warned Me About

May 18, 2025

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15 min read

Dopamine Agonists: The Highs, the Lows, and the Hell No One Warned Me About

By Richie Pikunis – 33-Year Parkinson’s Veteran, Speaker, and Advocate

Richie Pikunis

Richie Pikunis

A Safety Net You’re Not Allowed to Climb Out Of

MY TOP QUESTION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED PARKINSON’S PATIENTS

Why Parkinson’s Patients Lose SSDI (Even When They’re Clearly Disabled)

🎙️ “You’re Not Broken, You’re Just Shaped Different”

From Breakdown to Breakthrough: A Descent Into Darkness and the Fight to Find the Light Again

The Night I Lost My Mind (and Almost Everything Else)

The Dope in Dopamine

Dopamine’s a Hell of a Drug (And an Even Worse Dance Partner)

No White Coat, Just a Truth Bomb

Because Walking in a Straight Line is Just Too Mainstream

You Can Name It Parkinson’s—But You Can’t Name My Limit

When the Words Didn’t Come, the Truth Still Did

I Didn’t Say Goodbye—And I Didn’t Know Why?

Letters from the Future: A Journey Back to Myself

Oh, He Was Just Tired—Of Carrying Everyone Else’s Damn Trauma

The Simple Pleasures Parkinson’s Jacked from Me

Phantom Cookies and Rotten Lies: Parkinson’s and the Nose That Knows Too Much

Let’s Talk Brain Juice: My Personal Ranking of Neurotransmitters That Make Up The Cast of Characters in My Brain Drama

It’s Not Just Shaky Hands: The Whole-Body Reality of Parkinson’s Disease

When the Cure Becomes the Crash: The Dangerous Reality of Dopamine Agonist Withdrawal Syndrome

Depression vs. Apathy in Parkinson’s: Am I Sad... or Do I Just Not Give a Damn Anymore?

Why I Never Gave Up—And What a 20-Pound Dog Had to Do With It

The Only One Who Truly Understood Without a Word

The Top 5 Things I Wish People Knew About Young-Onset Parkinson’s

Dopamine Agonists: The Highs, the Lows, and the Hell No One Warned Me About

Voice Unshaken

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