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LIFE WITH

Life With Narcolepsy


Daytime Drowsiness and Sleep Attacks

LIFE WITH

Life With Narcolepsy

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    Standing Up Against the Stigma

    Reviewed by Neha Pathak on September 24, 2020

    Video Transcript

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    SPEAKER: There's a few things-- and they're even traps that I fell into when I was in the process of finding out what was going on with me-- is that in the media, all we see is people falling asleep in their soup, and that's what's portrayed as narcolepsy. And sure, some people might actually experience that. But it's not necessarily to that level all the time.

    So I remember, there was a few people that when I told them I was diagnosed, they were like, do we need to tie your ponytail to the back of the seat so you don't fall asleep in your soup? And I was like, no. You don't need to do that.

    Oh, you're so lucky. You get to nap whenever you want. Which is the one that infuriates me. It's like, I don't get to nap. I have to nap. There is a very big difference. And if you had to nap, you wouldn't want to. Trust me.

    And the people that are like, oh, I think I have that. I sleep all the time. I'm like, well, if you actually think you have it, go and see a doctor.

    They gave me a diagnosis, narcolepsy with cataplexy. And I remember I was so happy to have an answer, and I can do stuff about it now."

    - Judy Ferguson

    EXPLORE MORE

    The Impact on My Life

    Jessica Nora was living a nocturnal life, up all night and sleeping all day, before she was diagnosed as a textbook case of narcolepsy. And that discovery made all the difference.

    What It's Like to Fall Asleep in Public

    Living With Someone Who Has It

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