Psychology of Disability

One of my classes is called the Psychology of Disability. I've been enjoying this class for a few reasons. First of all, the instructor starts the class with a story about a person with a disability. What I love about these stories is that they reflect more about the "ability" than the "disability," meaning they show the capacity of people who are really determined to adapt and overcome even the most difficult circumstances. It makes me think, could I do that?

One of the interesting things about this class is that we kicked off the new semester with our final. Yup, you read correctly...we took our final on the second day of class. Essentially, the final consisted of assessing our own understanding of the terminology and philosophies of disability. We discussed terms like exceptionality and somatopsychological (how the whole person - body and soul- are affected by disability). We also considered how some persons with disability viewed able-bodied people...as TAB. TAB means temporarily able bodied. The point in this perspective is that most of us are or will be challenged by one form of disability or another in our lifetimes...illnesses, diseases, physical and mental disabilities that affect us personally are prime examples. And as we age, we encounter more and more "disability" as our bodies no longer function the way they used to. Further, most of us will deal with the disabilities of loved ones as we progress through this life.

Interestingly enough, there are heated debates among those who have disabilities about a variety of issues. Where the participants of these debates stand depends on various factors...were they born with their disability, or did it happen to them later in life (and what was the age of onset)? What type of disability do they have? Does it cause pain? The stability of the disability matters in their perspective...do they progressively get worse? Is it better some days than others? What functions were impaired and how severely? Naturally there are a variety of internal factors that affect their perspective as well. Personality, self-image and their mental state are some obvious considerations. The person's inner resources and/or a spirituality or philosophy can color their view of their disability and affect how they adapt.

All of us, regardless of how well our physical or mental capacities operate, are people with intrinsic worth and value. We all have emotions and need some of the same things...love, companionship, care. We all desire to be useful and to varying degrees, perform our best. The primary thing that attracts me to the field of psychology is the remarkable capacity we have as people to overcome life's difficulties. The sheer resilience of people astounds me. It's an exciting time for me as I try to absorb all of the material I am learning.

Here's a quote to finish off this post, and it reflects the power of the mind--it can trap us or uplift us. What we think about or what we dwell on becomes our reality.

"To worry about what you don't have, is to waste what you do have." - Ken Keyes