Share your experiences and insights on navigating social interactions, including any memorable encounters, effective communication strategies, or approaches you’ve found helpful in raising awareness and fostering understanding about Parkinson’s.
For me at first I mostly told those closest to me but over time I just try and tell everyone it takes the pressure off me. Sometimes people don’t know how to react and say weird things. But it’s important to understand that this is kind of a teaching moment because people just don’t know how to react. The more people that know the more awareness and understanding we will get
I recently a situation where I had struggles in front of a family friend.
I’m pretty open with my condition and I’m posting on TikTok so a lot of people close to me know what I’m going through.
I found that helpful when we had a friend of ours stay over for the weekend with her daughter. I had debilitating off time, so I really wasn’t much of a host. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be since my wife was handling that Our friend was completely understanding of my situation. She even said “that’s the off time you’ve been talking about, right?” and offered help when she thought I needed it.
I still felt embarrassed by the situation, but that was totally on me. It was nice knowing that I didn’t have to put up a façade. I could just let my struggles show without any judgment.
I had a very embarrassing situation at a family get together last christmas. I was feeling good enough to go to my granddaughters house for brunch and I had to use the rest room after I left the bathroom I noticed that my pee pad had come disconnected and was laying on the floor. My son who is very good under pressure got up and walked towards the bathroom and scooped it up. I’m not sure if anybody else seen it but I’m sure my face was bright red. 
. Thank goodness for a loyal son. Nothing was mentioned but I learned my lesson. Make sure everything is in place when you leave the rest room! 
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It’s great to have supportive friends or family that understand you and help you to maintain your dignity! Thanks for sharing.