We’re not drunk, we’re suffering from Parkinson’s

A FIFTH of Parkinson’s sufferers say they have been accused of being drunk because of their symptoms, a survey shows.

Slurred speech and problems with balance meant 22 per cent said others had believed they were under the influence.

Research by Parkinson’s UK found 24 per cent said their slow movement and speech had been misinterpreted as an intellectual disability. One in ten said it had led to them being laughed at, the survey of 2,300 British adults showed.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological condition, causing symptoms including involuntary shaking, slow movement and stiff or inflexible muscles. It affects an estimated 145,000 Britons.

Dave Clark, a Sky Sports presenter who was diagnosed in 2011, said: ‘I’ve been made fun of online. And when my medication isn’t working it affects how I walk, and as a result I’ve been accused of being drunk by random people on the street.’