It was ‘shaking me awake’: Lessons from ‘Still’
Fear can be our own worst motivator. It can paralyze us – or push us toward being someone we don’t want to be.
Fear drove Michael J. Fox to near ruin.
I’m learning from how he confronted his fears when, in his late 20s, he discovered he had Parkinson’s disease. Fox talks about his experience with fear in his new documentary, titled “Still.”
At the time of his diagnosis, his acting career was flourishing, he was married to actress Tracy Pollan, and they had a son. His comedy sitcom, “Spin CIty,” was a hit.
All was well.
Until he noticed his pinky finger twitching.
No, it was shaking.
He received a Parkinson’s diagnosis, and immediately he feared being found out. He worried audiences wouldn’t laugh anymore. He dreaded what would become of his career. Alcohol became his salve as he lived a lie.
He kept his diagnosis a secret for seven years.
That’s not an easy thing to do under Hollywood’s ever-probing lights.
Eventually, Fox realized what he needed to change. “All those years of hiding was shaking me awake,” he tells his interviewer in the film. So he shifted his focus.
He announced that he had early-onset Parkinson’s and proceeded to start a foundation, collect more than $1 billion for research, and lobby Congress for more attention on the disease.
And he hasn’t stopped advocating for people.
People like me.
I understand the fear of revealing that you have a progressive neurological disease that could eventually cause you to fall, shake uncontrollably, choke on food, or rely on a wheelchair – or all of the above.
I didn’t want to be defined by the disease. To be put in a box and labeled. To be pitied. To be disregarded.
But when I decided to confront my fear and let others know what I was facing, I felt more free. More “present” in my life, as Fox describes it.
That’s a solid takeaway for anyone with similar fears.
It may take some time for the newly diagnosed to tell others that they have Parkinson’s. I waited more than two years.
When to reveal it is a personal decision.
It’s a decision no one should feel pressured to make until they are ready. Those fears are valid and need to be dealt with.
Michael J. Fox knows that better than anyone. Speaking candidly in the documentary, he reminds us that for him and many others, “Parkinson’s is a disaster.”
Then he adds, “But it’s real.”
Indeed. The disease was a thick fog preventing him from being who he wanted to be. But when the clouds cleared, his true self became free to do miraculous things.
Perhaps the rest of us can do the same.
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” was directed by Davis Guggenheim.
It was released in May 2023. You can view it on AppleTV+.
“But when I decided to confront my fear and let others know what I was facing, I felt more free. More ‘present’ in my life”
I love this! I feel connected and inspired by your honesty and your journey, thank you for sharing it with us.
J.B., your comment is so helpful to me and perhaps others wondering what — and when — to reveal about their health. A real confidence builder!