Adjusting To Life After A Spinal Cord Injury
If you have recently experienced a spinal cord injury, you are undoubtedly feeling overwhelmed, confused, and discouraged. Adjusting to your new life certainly will have many challenges. However, you can take courage and find inspiration in those who have traveled the path of spinal cord injury with success. Taking Charge after SCI provides several testimonials of those who have experienced spinal cord injury. By utilizing the same spirit of determination, you too can become an example of success. Consider these strategies in order to live a happy and healthy life after a spinal cord injury.
Adjusting Your Home
Your home is a sacred place of refuge for you. It is important that you make adjustments to your home so that you can feel comfortable and improve your mobility within your sanctuary. Emedicinehealth.com suggests making several accommodations within your home, such as building ramps, widening doorways, and equipping your home with gadgets for dressing and grooming. If there are stairs in your home, consider adding a wheelchair lift.
A wheelchair life might be the tool that you need to easily access any area in your home without difficulty or assistance as it smoothly glides you to another level. Additionally, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation offer a wealth of information regarding home adjustments and provide a plethora of links to resources that can assist with the cost of a wheelchair lift. For more information about chair lifts, consider contacting companies like All-Star Lifts.
Mental Health Care
Adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury can be brutal from a mental health perspective. Upmc.com assures that it is common for individuals to doubt their sense of self-worth and independence after an injury. Experiencing depression and anxiety is a normal reaction to a traumatic life change. Talking to a mental health professional can greatly alleviate these symptoms. It can be helpful to process any fears and frustrations of your new situation while instilling hope for a happy and healthy future.
Finding Support
When facing difficult situations, it is easy to think that you suffer all alone. However, the Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury Prevention, Care and Cure reports that there are approximately 12,000 new incidents of spinal cord injuries a year. It can be an incredibly normalizing experience to realize that others have also experienced the same feelings, frustrations, and fears. Christopherreeve.org and spinalcord.org provide directories for support groups. Connecting with others and their families can help not only with your mental well-being but also help you find practical resources.
Your life will never be the same after a spinal cord injury, but that does not mean that you cannot continue to thrive in your daily life through the use of available resources and emotional support.