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Sometimes traumatic injury results in permanent disability or chronic illness.
‘Disability’ has been defined as the consequences of impairments – the inability or difficulty in performing some tasks or roles. ‘Handicap’ refers to a social disadvantage that results from impairment or disability. The distinctions between these terms remind us that traumatic injuries occur in the context of the wider social environment.
Some of the stages of adjustment to disability are:
- SHOCK: ‘This is a bad dream’; ‘This isn’t me’; ‘I’ll soon be back on track’. The individual still thinks of himself/herself as able-bodied, as still striving for the same goals as before the trauma.
- EXPECTATION OF FULL RECOVERY: ‘I’m sick, but I’ll soon be well’. In this stage people often are searching for a cure and are pre-occupied with their physical condition, overestimating the meaning of small recoveries. People often focus on stories of miraculous recoveries. Full recovery is still the only goal and people often reject the possibility of ongoing disability – they see the disability as a barrier cutting them off from everything they consider worthwhile.
- MOURNING: ‘All is lost’. The individual realises that the disability is permanent and begins to mourn their losses. The sense of loss of control, of powerlessness, is acute. They may feel angry, depressed, anxious, alienated and abandoned. They may withdraw into themselves. Counselling may help the person examine their feelings and eventually move on. As the individual learns to cope with the disability the psychological barriers of the disability are pushed back and they begin to set new goals.
- ADJUSTMENT: ‘It’s different’. The individual now sees the disability as one of her/his many personal characteristics and it moves along with him/her together with their other personal assets and liabilities.
Reference: Nancy Kerr (1961) ‘Understanding the Process of Adjustment to Disability’, in
Journal of Rehabilitation, 27 (6): 16-18.
Each person treads along the path towards adjustment in their own unique way. For some the journey is a private affair, others seek counselling to help them face their pain and to make new life goals. Some join self help groups or disability-specific associations, such as the Amputee Association, Paraquad or People with Disabilities International Inc. These groups can provide companionship, assistance and the chance to lobby government for more services.
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