Joey Marino, actor dies: Tardive Dyskinesia

Joey Marino died recently. I have tardive dyskinesia too. People do not understand how serious it is. Life is nightmarish and we plug along doing the best we can. No one wants to know ugly so we try to dwell on other things when we are with people….because everyone disappears around serious illness. Especially when it’s not legitimized in ways like cancer or some other diseases are. Have a weird chronic illness and be ostracized. They call them invisible diseases. They are invisible because no one wants to see. Joey plugged along a long time and so am I. This is devastating. No one understands how awful TD is. Learn and help and prevent this for others please. I’ve written quite a lot on what I understand about it. Visit the TD page here or Mad in America to read that stuff if you’re interested.

Let’s not let Joey Marino die in vain. Learn about what you do not know.

from Mad in America:

Update: I have been writing about TD and iatrogenic injuries for decades and tend to feel alienated everywhere, even in support groups with people dealing with iatrogenic injuries. It’s hard work and my body and soul knows that it’s what I must do to survive and to help others and to be sure that others have not died in vain. No one my age should know so many dead people.

Joey was the very vocal actor with TD who really put himself out there.

It is devastating to hear he succumbed. I work hard everyday to heal and in fact am healing in many ways, and yet I have zero support outside of my partner for whom I am very grateful.

I have found ways of treating this monster and I’m still sick. Because I pay very close attention to what is happening in my body I am always learning more. This has been a necessity. A somatic imperative. It’s a very demanding disease. It’s exhausting.

I’m learning incredible amounts but don’t have an audience anymore. People really do run off if you’re not “well”.

We live in an ableist society and it seems that sick people can’t really know anything. That’s what people believe anyway… that we’ve done our time and learn things that nobody else can doesn’t seem to matter. And it’s a tragedy.

In any case a lot is happening in my body and I pay very close attention. I have not stopped healing nor learning nor sharing what I know.

More on Tardive Dyskinesia:

Monica Cassani at Mad in America

Tardive dyskinesia collection

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