Life with Parkinson’s: How to Deal with Curious Stares

People with Parkinson's have to move through the stages of grief once they find out that they have this disease. It is an agonizing and miserable process, but eventually, they move past it. Now that they have accepted everything and have even started to cope with their Parkinson's disease, they then face another, outside aspect of the condition, which is dealing with the people around them.

A stranger who continuously stares at their trembling hands; a security guard who has some suspicions about their odd actions; a man who keeps looking at their shirt; or even a woman who thinks they are some kind of drunk person — these are just some of the common situations that people with Parkinson's experience as they live daily with their condition.

Having Parkinson’s disease requires a lot of “dealing with” and “getting used to.” It isn’t just about making yourself accept it or handling the disease itself, but also making other people around you understand what you’re going through. The people you meet on the street, the staff or clerks and the customers at your favorite mall or restaurant, even your own boss and coworkers are all just some of the people you can’t avoid; you need to find ways to handle your disease whenever these people are present. The curious stares that you get from them might be unbearable, and it sometimes leads to misunderstandings about you and your actions. That is why it takes a lot of courage, confidence, and patience to live your life with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is not an easy thing to deal with. It is a miserable condition, but gradually, the individual will come to accept everything that comes along with this disease and will start to cope with it. However, they face another, external issue in dealing with the people around them; it can be someone staring at their hands, which are shaky, or a woman who may think the individual is possibly drunk and may even try to ward them off. These are just a few such situations which a person with Parkinson’s has to handle along with their condition. Due to these, a person suffering from Parkinson’s may try to avoid going out with people they know or meeting new individuals. It is important that people around to behave well and be patient for the individual to live their life gracefully, and there are often questions in the minds of individuals as to how to deal with all those stares and questions. One of the best answers is to simply avoid or ignore those stares. It is the first choice and probably an easier option as well. Ignoring will not only help you to save your mood and energy from having to explain yourself, but it can also help avoid any unnecessary trouble. Many a times, pretending that you are not bothered about others’ stares can make them lose interest in you and move on.

Often times, staring or questioning can be irksome to a person, so in such cases, patience is key. However, with the disease already adding to the individual’s woes, it is never easy to maintain that cool and calm nature, but if you try to be more patient, it will eventually yield better results. It is important not only to be patient with those stares, but also with the disease itself. If ignoring stares from people or trying to be patient do not seem to be of any help, then it may be beneficial to confront the bothersome individuals and let them know about the medical condition. It can also be an effective method to stop people from staring and at the same time allow the afflicted individual to share some knowledge about Parkinson’s disease. It is always beneficial to talk to people who are eager to listen. Living with a disease is not easy, and so one needs to have a lot of courage to deal with as well as live with it. This courage should be in terms of accepting the condition, embracing life as it comes, and taking each day with a positive stride in order to avoid any negative remarks from the individual that may be detrimental to their health. Courage to handle difficult situations defines an individual’s life. Also, as a citizen of this country, you have certain rights which no one can take away, so if anything becomes too serious, then think about those rights and do not let discrimination get in your way.