Michael J. Fox, 63, maintains a sense of humor despite having lived with Parkinson’s disease since first diagnosed in 1991. “Let’s embrace that and make a difference,” he said.
Dark humor is a comedic style employed while discussing topics that are generally considered serious, grim, or taboo, such as chronic illness, death, or tragedy. Behavioral health specialist David Campbell commends Fox for coping with his circumstances with grace. “Employing dark humor to cope with illness is not necessarily the exception, but often, the norm,” Campbell told The Epoch Times on Nov.
19. “The utilization of dark humor can assist with a cathartic release of emotions, normalize tough circumstances, and can even give a sense of control or distract from the tragic elements of a situation.” Fox was only 29 years old when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a progressive brain disease that causes tremors, stiffness, memory loss, and slow movement.
There is no known cure, but medication can mitigate the symptoms. “In his situation, humor is beneficial since it allows him to acknowledge what is troubling him, hence reducing the anxiety he is living with,” Luxury Psychiatry Medical Spa psychiatrist Dr. Michelle Dees told The Epoch Times on Nov.
19. In addition to being an advocate for Parkinson’s disease research, Fox is also an author and activist and is known for TV roles in “Family Ties,” “The Good Wife,” and “Spin City.” His NBC sitcom, “The Michael J.
Fox.
