Disability, Chronic Illness, and Spirituality
When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the mid 1980′s as a “diagnosis of exclusion” (see, my illness had been mis-diagnosed for about 25 years prior to this initial “diagnosis”) I became VERY angry with God. “Why me”, I asked. Why did I have to be the one you inflicted with this terrible disease? Why couldn’t you let the Doctors conclusively diagnose the condition? Why did I have to keep pretending that the Doctors were mistaken, just so that I could live my day-to-day life?
I was asking the wrong question, you see. Instead of asking “Why me, God?”, I should have been asking, “Why NOT me, God?” See, I was trying to become the “before the diagnosis” me, and I just could not do it. So, I went into denial, and pretended that nothing was wrong. And, as anyone who is disabled, or who is living with a chronic condition can tell you, living with a disability is hard enough without trying to become a pale image of who one might have been without the disability, i.e., trying to fit into a world designed by and for able-bodied individuals, most of whom are equally dispirited. It took me quite a while (about 10 years, actually) to come to the conclusion that I needed to stop being in denial; I needed to accept the condition, learn how to manage symptoms, and get on with a quality life. Indeed, I needed to ask, “Why not me God!” For living in denial meant that the ILLNESS DEFINED ME; I was very unhappy; I was seperated from my spirituality; I was alone; and, I contributed to disruptive events in my life.
It may sound corney, but I used my illness/disability experience as an opportunity to get in touch with the needs of my “true self”. That is, I decided to use this opportunity to take back control over my life; to recommit to my spirituality; to discover and live a quality life; and, to keep replenishing my “well” of personal happiness and satisfaction by reaching out to others in similar situations. I mean, who better to discuss about living with a chronic illness than someone who does so on a daily basis, and not just some Researcher? Who better to create a Workbook (found at http://www.disabilitykey.com) to assist others obtain disability insurances to which they are entitled than someone who used the process herself, and not just a theoretical social services person? Who better to create a website and an online blog where we of similar condition can chat with, and learn about extending our quality of life than someone practicing each and every day?
Before Declaring Your Disabled Child Incompetent: Four Alternatives to Guardianship
Before parents decide whether their child with a disability needs some type of guardian, they should consider the alternatives to guardianship. These include special needs trusts, representative payees, and citizen advocates.
Special Needs Trusts
Special Needs Trusts are a highly recommended alternative to a guardian of the estate. Special needs trusts accomplish the same objective as the guardian of the estate, management of the assets of a person with a disability.
However, special needs trust offers several advantages as compared to guardians of the estate.
Disabled Single Can Also Find True Love
A disabled single may have insecurities when he or she first try his or her hands at dating. These singles know that they have disabilities and they also know that there are people who would look down on them because of their disabilities. This is the reason why many singles prefer not to date. However, ever since the emergence of online disabled dating the singles are now trying to meet new people and even date them online.
Why do you think a disabled single is willing to date online? Why is he/she uncomfortable about dating offline? The reason for this is that they can choose to remain anonymous when they are dating people online. If they want to reveal their true identity then they can but if they want to remain unknown to others, they can remain anonymous.
In the past, it was not possible for a disabled single to find true love because people were not comfortable going out on dates because of their disabilities. Nowadays, people can now sign up with a disabled dating website and find the potential mates there. The best thing about these websites is that the singles can get to know each other well before they actually meet in person.
