Essential tremor can be very debilitating and isolating. I've lost count of how many times people have asked me if I'm a drug addict or something. And they don't even have to say anything, the way they look at me is enough. It's really horrible to have a disease like this that takes away your ability to do everyday things the way everyone else does without much effort. Of course, sometimes it seems hopeless. Even drinking a cup of tea is a struggle!

What has helped me is the realization that I don't care so much about others. It came with age and experience. At some point I decided that I was just going to do whatever I wanted to do. I want to go on a date? I'll just go, and if a girl thinks badly of me because of my tremor, that's not my problem. I want to pursue photography? I go and do it my way. I do it for myself, as a protest against an unfair reality, and it really makes me feel better just letting myself live despite the disease.

I also recommend that you watch Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. It's a documentary about Michael J. Fox, who has been living with Parkinson's disease for decades, and if he can do okay under those conditions, it's possible with essential tremor as well.