Comparing
Some participants highlighted that comparing oneself with others within the group may have been important, allowing group members to discover similarities and to identify helpful differences. First, and most plainly, some of the participants shared that they were not alone in their experiences of Parkinson’s. Metaphors like, “all on the same playing field” or “all in the same boat together” were reflected in the comments of one participant who shared, “sometimes just hearing that other people have exactly the same thing … you don’t feel alone in this whole thing”. Further, Parkinson’s was sometimes reflected as a shared battle, with one participant remarking, “even if you don’t have all the same symptoms you know we’re fightin’ the same fight”. Against the backdrop of a fight, participants described the importance of the group and their belonging: “it’s the opportunity to share and care with others who have the same problem”; “I am now a member, which is a community of people with Parkinson’s”. From within this sense of connection, some participants also noticed their differences from others. They recognized the ways in which some of their experiences and choices were not universally shared with their peers. Noticing these differences may have allowed participants the opportunity to ‘gauge’ themselves, comparing their coping strategies while also learning from other group members. Participants specifically highlighted positive comparisons noting that such comparisons were uplifting. As one participant reflected, “they struck me as very resilient people and I think that you rise to, you know, if you want to be better in this life, find people that are better than you, and so I felt that this group, they were bringing things that made us all better”.