Self-esteem and a healthy body image for people with disabilities are so often hard-fought. – Stella Young
I am mentally and physically disabled due to bipolar disorder and cerebellitis.
Each one, in its own right, represents a significant challenger to self-confidence and a thriving self-image; together, they can be inseparable, overwhelming adversaries.
Depression is not exclusive to mental illnesses; it affects physical ones as well.
Unfortunately, I sometimes forgot this fact and saw them as separate entities to be dealt with one at a time.
I was anxious when the first patient walked through the door of my office in January. Would our patients welcome a new dentist? Did he have enough experience? Would they still accept me?
The last time they saw me I was healthy, confident, and able. But an unsteady gait, dark circles under my eyes, and a speech impediment that worsened when I was nervous or excited painted a different picture.
From the beginning I knew that cerebellitis changed me outwardly, but it was not until I was preparing to reopen the office that I realized that it also was changing me inwardly.
I was losing confidence in my abilities, my judgment, and myself. It was not because I suddenly had become less intelligent, less capable, and less experienced; it was because I was beginning to perceive myself in that way. I was afraid that my patients might, too. – Excerpt from “I’m Afraid”
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The saga continues in my next blog.
Do Not Be Afraid!!!