There is nothing positive about the onset of a disability, as becoming less than one was is a challenge the human being has not been able to handle well. We only need to look at the most successful and revered athletes struggle to accept decline, to acknowledge the mental strain this adjustment requires.
A physical disability, causing a problem with one’s mobility, of course is more severe, and coming to terms with one’s new reality, requires one to accept physical limitations and the cause whether injury or illness. Regarding the latter, what if there is no answer, it remains unsolved, a question mark, a medical mystery.
The power of a diagnosis cannot be downplayed, a disability is a constant fight, it doesn’t take a day off, and thus it’s good to know what one is up against. To use another sports analogy, physical preparation is enhanced by a scouting report on an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Without this information, one has to responds to the competition on the fly, figuring out a game plan with trial and error.
Managing expectations is another problem and raises more questions, can I expect to see progress and how much, is the effort of workouts or results of a new supplement legitimate, a placebo, or the ebb and flow of the condition. There is no research, no books, no news updates that can provide an answer, there is only one result, frustration.
The solution is to keep up with it all, research is the answer, on every condition or circumstance that can produce similar symptoms. Absolutely, a step in the right the direction, but there is a drawback, there is no cure.
No question, a tough realization, that regardless of effort, there will be no change. The goal of physiotherapy, is to manage the condition and reduce decline. Thus, there is a new challenge, to mentally accept this reality.
A good strategy is to change the goal. If the physiotherapist prescribes a workout of stretching, using a stationary bike, and elliptical machine, make the goal to complete this workout.
A disability will bring many hardships into one’s life, prejudice, a difficulty finding a way to make a living, social isolation, and the list goes on. The answer to deal with the disability, the root cause of these problems, is to manage expectations, and learn to redirect goals.