The Tip of the Iceberg

We have all heard the old saying “What you see is what you get.” And in many cases that is true. But it is not true with Parkinson’s Disease. You may think this is a disease where the patient shakes all the time. That’s what I always thought. And on the surface, that may be all that is evidenced. But as caregivers, we know that there is much more to this degenerative disease.

The Iceberg Principle or Iceberg Theory is a theory that suggests that we cannot see or detect most of a situation’s data.

The outward manifestations are just the tip of the iceberg. They are the part above the water line – the visible parts of the disease. Many times, the effects of the disease that you DON’T see are much more debilitating than those that you DO see.

Recently I found a list of problems that can arise from having Parkinson’s Disease. Some of these are mere inconveniences, and others can cause our patients to be homebound or confined. Many are conditions we speak of only in private, so no one outside our family ever knows.

Here is a partial list:

Depression

Dementia

Delusions

Hallucinations

Obsessive behavior

Vivid dreams

Insomnia

Bladder disturbances

Sexual dysfunction

Orthostatic hypotension

Saliva problems – too much or too little

Reflux

Nausea

Constipation

Smell and taste – changes or sudden lack of them

Blurred vision

Weight loss or gain

Seborrhea

Most PD patients don’t have ALL of those symptoms, especially at the same time. Movement disorders – shaking, shuffling, inability to move on demand – those are the symptoms we think of with Parkinson’s. But this list of “unseen” symptoms tells the rest of the story. The same thing is true of many other diseases.

The next time I see a PD patient or someone with any chronic disease, I need to remember that there is more to their disease than what I can see.

As I thought of the iceberg principle this week, I thought of people in general. What we see exhibited in public, is not all of who they are. There is more to everyone’s story. There is more to MY story. I am not just a caregiver. There is more to YOUR story. You are not JUST a caregiver.

Knowing this about others and ourselves may cause us to be more compassionate toward others. Each of us has likely encountered a stranger who seemed to be very upset without cause. When we realize that there is more to their story than what we see, perhaps we will treat them with more grace. After all, when we need it, we hope they treat us the same – with more grace.

Thank you for reading and commenting.

You continue to encourage me as I hope I encourage you.