The Parkinson's Stare

[Joealt]

People talk about The Parkinson's Stare. You know: Fixed. No expression. Stone faced. Some might say grim. That Look. When [if] I go to an event, I bring the Parkinson's Stare with me. The Event is still interesting. I'm still having fun. I'm not angry. I'm just thinking. Inside I am laughing. Inside I might be humming a song that seems to never end. Do you get those? Some times it's an advertizing jingle. Often times it's a song from my past. A lot of the time I'm just wondering stuff. But I'll still be sitting there with The Look on my face. I've seen pictures of myself with that look on my face. I guess what I'm saying is: The Parkinson's Stare is the result of a persons struggle with PD. When you go somewhere and see someone like me sitting there with The Look on their face think to your self: "What the heck is he laughing about?".

[Paul_Dineen]

I don't believe I have (much of) a PD stare. Maybe I do, but from my point-of-view it's paying full attention to the person who's talking to me. I'm just sitting still, making eye contact, listening and not fidgeting or looking around as if I don't care about the fact that they're talking to me.

Here's a better manifestation for me, but it involves the whole body rather than just the face: If I'm at a sporting and many in the home crowd are sometimes standing up, rooting their team on, cheering a good play, booing the refs, etc, I'm just sitting there quietly observing the play. For sports I know well (baseball and hockey), I certainly appreciate high-level athletic skill, but my focus is often on the strategy. So, I'm sitting there observing and thinking about that, while a good number of other fans are doing the boisterous stuff I listed. (That doesn't bother me -- I'm just describing the difference). The most I do is if my team scores a goal in hockey or hits a homer (big stuff like that) I'll stand along with almost everyone else and I'll and clap. No wolf-whistling, no shouting approval, etc. Then I'll go back to sitting and quietly observing.

Many people I've gone to games with don't see how I can be that way -- not be more outgoing as a fan in the stands. No one has said this, but I think it to myself: If every fan there were like me, it would be like being in a library (after hours ;-).

I don't know if what I'm describing here is a whole-body extension of the facial "PD stare", or it that's just my somewhat introverted personality, or both.. In that listening-to-someone example, I think that also keeping my body relatively still (not fidgeting) is consistent with the head facing the speaker, making eye contact, etc. But, maybe that's partly me by intention and partly a predisposition from PD.

[hilarypeta]

facial exercises are good.-I agree keep moving.keep smiling! No one says they notice I have one! watching comedies a lot helps..

[merlethegirl]

It reminds me of Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face" I don't know if that's the correct name of the song.....my face is stony but I still kaught when there is something to laugh at or with!

[WayneP]

I was diagnosed March 2010 and I am 46. As I look back on the the years, I now can see that there were signs all along that I was not seeing and one was my facial expressions. It is so funny now because as far back as my mid 20's, my friends would call me the Iceman for my serious face all the time or my look as if I was always concentrating. Now I just have to keep the use of humor about things, now it is just the look of constipation.

[Joealt in reply to WayneP]

I look like a statue in most of my Facebook pictures!