text: would you confront someone you know has a disease and think they already know but aren't telling? i have a cousin who (from all i've learned) has cervical dystonia.  she has repetitive head movements and also the fingers on one hand stay contracted most of the time.  her son has been diagnosed with the disease but it involves one leg only.  he's been treated with it for about 10 years.  everyone knows he has it.  the mother who shows symptoms of cervical dystonia has never admitted she has it also.  (it would mean the son got it from her genes and that evidently is not wanted)  knowing she has it, should i confront her with it and urge her to seek medical help for her own case of dystonia?  or do i just play dumb and act like i don't see the signs.  i want her to get help if there is something that can keep her from getting worse, but i don't want her mad at me either. hello. i am a doctor with dystonia, and i have passed it along to at least one of my kids.  your cousing could be helped, and should be helped; but she needs psych help with facing this stigmatized disorder.  dystonia is a strange dz in that it causes great family shame.  i know this 1st hand as my wife is having a hard time facing our reality.  i have 3 other children who are at risk.  tell your cousin you love her; give her some articles on botox, and tell her that there are people risking their entire careers on creating new solutions for her and her son.        fyi, i have closed my cardiology practice to invent new treatments for movement disorder pts.  there is great potential to help your cousin and her son.  i am working on a form of gene therapy as well as a novel and noninvasive manner to rewire the abnormal brain circuitry.      best of luck.  ross