Living with Essential Tremor

I’m now 65; I’ve suffered with ET since I was a teenager–I thought there was something mentally wrong with me and for years and sought help from psychiatrists; they would always get off the “beaten path” and want to discuss what was going on in my life. Finally, I said to one (the best!) “Why don’t we ever get to the root of WHY I’m here?” He asked me what I meant. I relayed my story of (at that time) 40 years. He asked me to stand, hold my arms straight out in front of me and to close my eyes. When I did, apparently my hands bobbled up and down; his immediate reaction: familial genetic essential tremor disorder and wrote a prescription for Propranolol which has helped tremendously. This is a beta-blocker which I was told lowers ones pulse. Needless to say, I owe this doctor my life; in one way or another, by avoidance, I was able to disguise the shaky feeling and the fast heartbeat. Today, I’m taking more Propranolol to alleviate increased shakiness. So far, so good. I would love to read other people’s stories. It’s probably the worst disease (if one can call it that) out there. I have Type II diabetes now and would far rather have it than essential tremor which can almost destroy ones life.