'People think my tremor condition is alcoholism'

A woman who shakes so badly she sometimes cannot leave the house has said finding other people with the same condition has helped her feel less alone.

Leah Brown, from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, has suffered with uncontrollable shaking since the age of nine and was diagnosed with essential tremor at 27.

Essential tremor is a neurological condition that causes involuntary trembling - most commonly in the hands and arms, but sometimes it can extend to the head, voice and body.

"It's so isolating, people just think I'm an alcoholic or that I've got Parkinson's," Leah said.

The 39-year-old said her condition meant she needed help with simple day-to-day tasks.

"Drinking, cutting up my food, brushing my teeth and doing my hair and make-up are all impossible on a bad day," Leah said.

"That makes me feel stressed and frustrated, but those feelings make the shakes even worse. It's a vicious cycle."

Essential tremor is considered the most common neurological movement disorder and is eight to 10 times more prevalent than Parkinson's, according to the National Tremor Foundation.

Leah said even though the condition was so common, not enough people knew about it.

She added: "I'm constantly explaining what it is, even to doctors.

"I'm not an alcoholic, I don't need a drink. I don't have Parkinson's. I'm not nervous."

After a tough two years with her mental health, Leah said she started looking for a support group so she could meet other sufferers.

But the nearest was about 175 miles away in Salisbury.

"When I saw that, I jumped online and applied to the National Tremor Foundation to be a support worker and start my own group," she said.

It took seven months to set up and in November, her group, which she called "Come Shake with Leah" was born.

Leah said eight people signed up and six people from across the East Midlands came to the first meeting at Nottingham's Central Library.

"Before that day, I'd never met anyone who shakes like me and as much as I'm helping other people, they're helping me," she added.

Kitty Reilly, chair of trustees at the National Tremor Foundation, said: "I think it's really great that Leah has taken this on board to raise the profile of essential tremor.

"We're trying to grow the amount of support groups we've got and so the aim is to try and increase those over the coming years."

And Leah feels like she has finally found a place she can fit in.

"It's made me feel like it's OK to shake my life away," she added.

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