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Coping with Sudden Disability

ReplyDisability and Elderly CareDecember 13th, 2009Cheryl Weisz

You have a wonderful family and a great circle of friends until one day, something very unfortunate happens to you. You get into an accident and you find out that you can no longer enjoy life as you used to. In an instant everything seems to be falling apart. You dreadfully thought that you might no longer be in a position to support your family financially; that you could lose your job; and that simply, all your dreams can crumble into pieces.

Disability may come in many forms. Some disabilities have to be faced from birth; others are developed during a person’s course through life. They can manifest suddenly, or gradually develop over the years.

A sudden disability is really hard, and naturally, you will be down about it, yet with a few changes you might still be able to live your life to the fullest.

1. Give yourself time to come to terms with your disability.

The whole world is upside down and you are in the middle of it believing life will never be the same again with you just being miserable fighting your disability. You might lose your friends because you will no longer be able to socialize as you used to. But this is also the time to find out who your real friends are, who will be there to support you no matter what. Allow yourself time to let all the negative emotions go away. It is good to know that there are people who you can talk to, and counseling might be appropriate at this time.

The process of accepting your disability can be a long one. But you should soon start to realize that feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere. You still have a life that you can enjoy. Now is not the right time to dwell in the past, but concentrate on the things that you still can do in the future. Consider all your strengths and the qualifications you have. Seek the help of a career consultant who will be more than happy to help you find a suitable job you might still be able to do bearing in mind your limitations.

Thinking positively is no easy matter but it is important to be enthusiastic about life again. There are only two choices for you to make. You can stay depressed and complain about your disability for the rest of your life, or you can try to make the most of your life.

The important point to realize is that a disability is not a punishment for something wrong you have done.

2. You are not alone.

There will be times that you might want to share your problems with your friends but you do not want to bore them with it. At the end of the day if you recount to people how hard life is treating you, they will only tell you how much harder their life is. Rarely will you come across somebody who understands and will be willing to listen to you, but aside from that, you have to find those who can share their own problems with you. It is therefore advantageous to join support groups.

It is important to appreciate those who organize these support groups and put disabled people in contact. Enjoy the support of your like-minded friends but only to enrich your life. Do not get stuck in complaints about your misfortune. Surround yourself with people with whom you feel great. Avoid people who are distracting you from achieving your goals. Just be yourself. Do not listen to criticisms.

You are not on your own. There are others with similar problems you can join forces with. Use the support of others who are in a similar position as you to improve each others’ lives. It is alright to complain about your condition in the short term, but in the long term, concentrate on the positive. Feeling sorry for yourself will take you nowhere.

3. Nurture yourself.

The only person you can always trust is you. I know it sounds funny but you will always be in your own company. You can either cheer yourself up or make yourself miserable. But first and foremost, you need to take care of yourself and keep yourself as healthy as possible.

You cannot always cure your disability but you can learn how to live your life the best possible way. There is so much you can do to help yourself feel better. Try and find something that you enjoy. Develop an interest or a hobby. Praise yourself for any little achievement you have, no matter how small. If it helps, put your favorite poem on the wall, or any positive quote to remind you every time you pass by it.

4. Concentrate on the present, do not dwell in the past, nor worry about the future.

The present is the most important part of your life. Take a moment to reflect on how you feel. Meditation techniques are beneficial because they help us discover more on who we are. That is not an easy matter in today’s extremely stressful society.

As a result of your disability, you might have less power to influence matters in your life now. Worrying only makes our worries come alive. Do not worry of what could go wrong in the future. Just let anxiety go, and allow reality to happen instead. Do not believe things will always end up badly.

5. Try to eliminate stress from your life.

We should try and live in harmony with everybody else. This might not always be easy. If you are angry with somebody, take a few deep breaths and explain calmly to the person why you are angry and what you would like the person to do instead. Do not swear at anybody or accuse them of being an idiot, the response you will be getting should be less hostile.

Social contact and support from members of familar organisation and community can help contribute to happiness in great amounts.  Sending positive thoughts to others can help you live a stress-free life.

6. Get yourself a mobility equipment.

Mobility equipment can make you feel less incapable of doing things on your own. These are available at www.doability.co.uk

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