Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, Statistic #4: Smiling On the Inside
Some people, in general, just aren’t aware of how wide the range of symptoms for Parkinson’s disease can be. For example, in looking at the motor symptoms alone, a patient can have any or all of the following: tremors, muscle rigidity, difficulty walking, etc. But one symptom that is not common knowledge outside of the PD community is called facial masking. The patient with this symptom has a difficult time adequately or accurately communicating through facial expressions and can often be misunderstood, non-verbally.
If you know a person who has PD, don’t ask them “What’s wrong?” or “Are you okay?” if they aren’t wearing a smile.They may very well be smiling on the inside but have lost their ability to move the muscles that allow them to smile how you’d like to see. Believe me – they’re aware of it.
Also, don’t judge a person’s happy-meter by the expression on their face. How often have you put on a smile while in pain on the inside? The opposite is often true for a person with PD – they are smiling inside but again, may not be able to convey it.
Remember the old saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well, everyone has a story to tell, so that makes us all books.
Please… don’t judge us by our smiles (or the lack thereof).
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