It’s never easy coping with change. But the changes that completely change your life are the ones that are the hardest to come to terms with. Accidents and ill health can be devastating physically and emotionally. How you manage your life after these changes could make a significant difference to how well you cope.
Living with a disability, even a temporary one, can take a lot of adjustment. You will probably need a lot of support and help at first. After years of independence, this might be the one change that knocks you the most. Some of us struggle to ask for help. Don’t let your pride get in the way. Loved ones and friends will be desperate to do something to make life easier for you. It will be beneficial to all of you to accept.
There may be a lot of physical discomfort and pain to deal with. There are many ways to help you cope with pain. You can borrow or buy a TENS machine, visit a special therapist, or take medication. Many people that live with chronic pain tend to need a few different approaches in combination to make it tolerable. The choices you make may have other repercussions, so it’s worth researching your options.
While your body may have gone through some tough changes, don’t neglect your mental or emotional health. You’re allowed to feel angry and sad about such enormous changes in life. You may feel like you need to do something about it to help you get to grips with what has occurred. This is natural. Sometimes it’s worth speaking to a disability attorney who can help you with your next course of action.
If you’re finding that day to day tasks have become problematic, it can be worth tackling the problem with a positive approach. Experiment. Try out different ways to achieve the task. Learning to adapt is very proactive, and it helps you take control of the situation. It doesn’t matter that you have to do something different to achieve the same thing. It’s about getting there.
Keeping a journal or writing a blog is another way you can manage your emotional response to what has happened. At first, everything is really hard. Write about that. Putting it down on paper or posting it to your blog helps you accept what is changing in your life. It’s another positive way to cope with it. And over the weeks and months, you’ll be able to read back and see just how far you’ve come.
There may be lots of changes to the way you live your lifestyle, the work you can do, and the people that are in your life. Letting go of the past will invoke a strong grieving process that is healthy and normal. But there is no need to let go of everything. You might find different ways to do the same things. You can maintain your friendships of the past. You may even be able to stay on at your old job. Find the positive things that can keep you going.
Thank you for sharing this. My family has alot of big changes in the works. I pray every day that God is with us. I enjoyed this article
ReplyDeleteI think many people take their family and friends for granted. I'm so lucky to have a very supportive network that I can depend on.
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