Harvey Max Chochinov is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba. His latest book iswas recently released by Apple TV+ and provides a ringside seat to the daily, formidable challenges facing the actor since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 30 years ago.
The closest we see Mr. Fox demonstrate that kind of stillness comes when he speaks about or is seen with his family. In those instances, he doesn’t seem to be contemplating the next quick-witted one-liner, or embodying the part of iconic actor or international Parkinson’s spokesperson and philanthropist.
There are times when finding inner peace within the midst of deteriorating health requires confronting anguish. Like grief, responding to illness-related losses can’t be outrun or circumvented. But that kind of being in the moment engagement, painful though it may be, can bring about a kind of calm that people sometimes speak of in terms of healing.