by Tui Benjamin,
Reporter
RUDENESS and hostility is making
Parkinson’s sufferers “feel like zoo exhibits” when they leave their homes.
Horwich mother-of-four
Susan Harbot said she has been forced to develop a tough skin to deal with misunderstanding
of the condition.
The widowed 65-year-old has spoken
out about the public humiliation she has been subjected to since her diagnosis
nine years ago at the age of 56.
Parkinson’s UK research last week
revealed more than half of sufferers in the North West say they have experienced
hostility and rudeness
One in three sufferers have been
stared at, a quarter have been mistaken for being drunk and 10 per cent have
been laughed at in the street.
Mrs Harbot said: “I was getting up
from a disabled seat on the bus, wearing my badge that states l have
Parkinson’s, when a gentleman asked me if my badge was a reason or excuse for
sitting in the disabled seat as ‘clearly there was nothing wrong with me’.
“The feeling of being completely
misjudged stayed with me all day, it was horrible. I think the negative
reactions upset my family more than they do me now.
“I have developed a tough skin over
the years. I just wish people would show some common courtesy. Parkinson’s
isn’t a reason or an excuse, it’s just what I have got.”
Parkinson’s – a progressive
neurological condition – has no cure and the symptoms get worse over time.
The disease was responsible for the
death of Mrs Harbot’s mother, Constance, when she was in her seventies and her
two brothers Paul and David were diagnosed at 63 and 58.
Two years ago she was fitted with a
brain stimulator to reduce her tremors, but this will not stop the degenerative
illness from accelerating.
Mrs Harbot added: “I don’t think the
public realise there are other symptoms than shakes – Parkinson’s takes a piece
of your life.
“Slowness is another big symptom, as
is fatigue. I have been asked if I can move any quicker. If I shake a lot of
people get up and move away.
“My four daughters are fantastic, and
it is horrible to know Parkinson’s could affect them. There is no known test
for it.”
Parkinson’s affects 127,000 people in
the UK and an estimated 14,000 in the North West – nearly two thirds of whom
suffer from anxiety because of their condition.
Almost one in five of sufferers in
the region said the fear of humiliation and negative reactions makes them feel
trapped in their homes.
Professor David Burn, Parkinson’s UK
clinical director and consultant neurologist, said: “It is devastating to see
the added burden thoughtless reactions from the public are having on people
with Parkinson’s.
“Patients I see in the clinic are
already battling a myriad of neurological symptoms including anxiety,
depression and insomnia.
“The last thing they need is to feel
like a zoo exhibit when they step out of their front door.”
Parkinson’s UK has launched a campaign to urge the public
to show kindness to people with Parkinson’s. For more information: go to
upyourfriendly.com
http://health.einnews.com/article/262228705/bQgedwyslAttmJDK
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