Hello all,
The "mask" deprives PWP of an important mean of communication.
About this subject I read a clarifying article:
"THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION", BY SHEILA SCOTT.
A summary of the (IMHO) most important parts of this article!!
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COMMUNICATION: "NORMAL" <=> PWP
How do people communicate effectively?
When people speak, the words only account for 7% of the overall effect.
How they say something, the tone, the intonation, the volume, account for
38% of the effect.
But the body-language and facial expression account for 55%.
People use open gestures and wide eyes to express friendship. These actions
also impart honesty to the observer. Compare this with the stooped posture,
poor eye gaze and blank expression of a PWP. Such closed gestures are deemed
to be barriers to communication and they impart messages of hostility,
apathy, loss of intellect.
The non-verbal components of speech, known as prosody, contribute
significantly to speech intelligibility and effective communication.
Prosodic features are those used in stressing, rhythm, rate and intonation.
Studies agree that 50% of those diagnosed with PD will present with a
communication difficulty which increases as the disease progresses.
Studies have shown that vocal dysfunction and distorted prosodic and
non-verbal features account for the unintelligibility experienced.
PWP report having trouble making themselves heard, that their speech is less
intelligible, being too slow, and finding it difficult to initiate speech.
WHAT DOES THIS BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION MEAN?
Having difficulty with and/or feeling frustration in:
- using the telephone
- talking about your day
- sharing a joke or a confidence
- sharing your displeasure
- telling your partner you love her/him
- greeting your grandchild with a smile and a hug
Being considered drunk or demented because of posture or facial expression.
Relationships alter because your communication skills are declining.
Loss of privacy because someone else has to speak for you.
You no longer control your environment.
You become withdrawn and enter an ever increasing spiral of frustration.
A FEW CONCLUSIONS:
The rigidity and bradykinesia of PD deprive PWP of 93% of their
communication skills.
The TRANSMITTING of subliminal messages is lost in PWP.
Many PWP are unable to UNDERSTAND subtle changes in facial expression, and
the nuances of speech: sarcasm, ellipsis, double entendre.
The loss of body-language may have effects on therapeutic relationships and
on the PWP's self-image.
People may make hasty assumptions about personality and intellect.
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SO ......... GET (RE)CONNECTED AND STAY CONNECTED !!! Hans.
