Question

Living with a Disability

When Shelly saw Ms. Jones in a wheelchair, she felt sorry for her. She said a little prayer of thanks that she could walk and move freely without any hindrance. However, feeling badly for a person and actually sitting in the wheelchair for another vantage point is very different.

Imagine that you suffered an accident six months ago. The accident left you partially paralyzed from the waist down. You are currently seeking counseling from a professional specializing in working with individuals who have disabilities. It has been a difficult six months. Your central concerns relate to the emotional and physical adjustments you must now make in relation to your family, job, and future plans. You are permanently in a wheelchair and have limited use of your legs but full use of your arms and upper body.

Identify three major issues that you think you would need to work through in therapy. Explain what aspect of each issue is problematic for you.

Explain how your views on intimacy, usefulness, and security will change for you to make the necessary adjustments for living with the disability.

How well do you think you would cope with this situation if you faced something similar in real life?

Answer 1

The three major issues that is needed to work through in therapy are:

Accepting the disability:

The first and foremost issue would be to accept the disability, the limitations that it has caused in the life. It is difficult to accept this bitter reality of the life, there would be anger, depression and sadness due the disability because it has taken the ability of moving freely and leading a normal life. Accepting this bitter truth is difficult, because the physical and emotional pain that it brought is immense. The love and support of friends and family is important, but moreover empathy plays an important role than sympathy. Accepting the disability is the first step to cope with this disability.

Overcoming Challenges:

The other important issue is to overcome the physical, psychological and emotional challenges that this disability has brought. Overcoming the challenges is important otherwise it would lead to withdrawing from the reality and living a sad and lonely life that would be more traumatic and difficult. For this social support is necessary, it is important to know how others with physical difficulties and disabilities are living challenging their disability. Setting real goals and patiently striving to them is important. Finding out the inner strength, and finding out the aids and supports to move as prosthetic, wheelchair etc play an important role. Educating oneself about the disability would help to understand nature of disability and potential things that could be done along with this disability to lead a normal life.

Finding meaning and purpose in life.

Accepting, overcoming are major issues. Once these issue are resolved, the major issue is to start life from a new beginning which is very challenging. The disability has brought the life to a stand still, it has made the calculations and goals of life to be futile and wrong. Starting to love life and find purpose is difficult but not impossible. Managing stress and trauma at this stage is important. Finding out hobbies and jobs that would keep one engaged and give financially independent is important. Making oneself self dependent is important, but also one should not refrain fromaccepting help of others and asking for help.

Finding professional help seeking the social the social support from friends and emotional support of the near ones is important to get back to life, and to live with a disability for the rest of the life.