Alan Alda is sharing his surprising method of coping with Parkinson’s.
The actor, 90, best known for portraying Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the CBS wartime sitcom “M*A*S*H,” was diagnosed with the degenerative motor disease in 2015 and publicly shared the news in 2018.
The diagnosis came after the actor learned that his own behavior of acting out dreams could be an early Parkinson’s symptom.
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“I had a symptom, which at the time was not that well-known: Acting out your dreams,” he said in an Oct. 4 interview with CBS News. “I had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at ’em. What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at Arlene, my wife.”
Alda identified humor as his way of coping with the frustrations and limitations of the disease.
While he acknowledged the frustrations of the physical effects and limitations of Parkinson’s, he said “the best way to deal with anything that’s a little bit of a problem is to find out what’s funny about it and laugh at it.”
In one example, he shared that when he has trouble controlling the computer mouse while composing an email, he personifies his condition as “Dr. Parkinson,” moving his hand all over the screen and deleting things.
“I don’t let Parkinson’s define me,” Alda said, joking that he sees the disease as “just a hobby.”
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Rather than wishing he didn’t have the condition, the actor said he aims to accept his current reality.
“I really think reality is my friend,” he said. “I don’t want to wish it away. I can’t wish it away. I can’t hope for a better future. I gotta accept what is.”
Although Alda acknowledged that everyday tasks, such as buttoning his shirt, have become difficult, he said he treats each one like a “puzzle” to solve.
“I do hate it, but the only thing that’s helpful is: What haven’t I tried? And pretty soon, you get the feeling, ‘If I keep looking for new ways to try this, I’ll get a solution.’ It’s a puzzle. Will I be able eventually to put my socks on? The last time I put my socks on was a tremendous moment to celebrate!”
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Dr. Chadrick Lane, a neuropsychiatrist and director of the geriatric and neuropsychiatry clinic at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, agreed that humor can be a helpful wellness tool for those navigating the Parkinson’s journey.
“Humor involves cognitive reframing, this idea of looking at a circumstance through different angles — not necessarily changing the reality that one is in, but shifting the meaning and the emotional weight of the situation,” Lane, who has not treated Alda, told Fox News Digital.
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When something feels frightening or distressing, such as a medical diagnosis, creating some “psychological distance” can make a “big, big change” in perspective, he added.
Connection is another important component of humor, Lane noted.
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“Humor is often shared. It brings us together,” he said. “We are meant to share our lives with others. The importance of having a sense of belonging and humor can be a glue in that way, bringing us closer with others so that one does not go on the journey alone.”
Lane shared that he has witnessed the power of humor and connection in his own practice as he cares for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
“One of the wonderful things that I’ve seen in those settings is that, just like Mr. Alda, people crack a joke, [it] brings them a smile.”
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The neuropsychiatrist also noted that Alda’s acceptance of his condition is “enormously empowering.”
“It’s the idea of saying to oneself, what are the choices that I can make in the moment?” Lane told Fox News Digital. “Rarely do we ever have control over our entire day and certainly not our entire life, but we often do have control over what we choose in the moment.”
“Our sense of agency is an important part of our emotional well-being.”
