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”.