Relating to Others with Disabilities

Relating to others with disabilities is often difficult. If you have a mental illness the only sources that understand you most times in the mental health experts, and sometimes they fail. I cannot count on 90 people’s fingers and toes how many patients told me that mental health experts were not helping them. The patients were complaining about the medications and treatment they were receiving. The problem may have lain between the patient and therapist since sometimes patients do not do their best to listen and follow instructions. Other times therapist does not do their best to listen and hear, what the patient is telling them.

Regardless, something is not working, so we need to learn effective strategies that help us to relate to disabilities. Often when a patient is complaining there is a source that leads to that complaint. In some cases where the diagnosis is affected by pretense (certain disorders cause patients to complain even if there is no problem), while in most disabilities there is a source and reason for the complaint. Here is part of the problem. When the person has a source of complaint, they are often ignored simply because they have a mental illness. You are exaggerating is often the sentence used when a mentally ill patient complains. In most cases, this is not true, since mentally ill patients are often more aware of their surroundings than the so-called normal minds.

Mental Illnesses

Schizophrenics, psychotics, drug-induced disorders, and a few other types of mental illnesses include symptoms of hallucination, voices, delusions, and illusions. The patients will complain that their voices are telling them to do something, and although this is a degree of pretense or misunderstanding, it is important to listen since the patient is subject to harm himself or herself as well as others around. When a person has an illusional state of mind and voices outside the head, then there is no room for disregarding the patient. However, when a patient does not have the symptoms listed above they often are vigilant and can explain what is happening to them.

One other problem is the therapist or others around the patient will often attempt to disconnect the patient from his or her complaint. In other words, they will tell the patient what the problem is, and avoid hearing what the patient is telling them. Reading between the lines is the best solution for communication and understanding, however, most people read between their own lines when communicating. I cannot stress the disadvantages this action causes since communication is vital for humans to get along and understand one another. Dialect often plays a role in the failure of communication, since we are all different and few of us can understand the dialect. Therefore, one effective method of communicating and relating to disabilities is to grasp a hold of the dialect and learn how to read between the lines of the patients. It is important to continue consistently understanding strategies to help the patient cope with his or her symptoms.

Another great strategy is “Role-Play.” Role Play is great since the patient can look inside himself or herself through a separate pair of eyes while examining the cause and action of the problem. Stepping outside of your own mind helps you to see between the lines, and helps the patient to grasp hold of the solution in front of them. For example, the patient may be living a harmful lifestyle that triggers their symptoms and is unaware of their actions and behaviors. If the patient includes all elements of the problem in the picture and views it with an open mind or another eye, then the patient will most likely see the cause of their problem.

This method is also effective for helping the patient see who was a part of their symptoms, such as the person may have been abused which caused the person’s symptoms to a degree. If that person comes to accept the problem then that patient can move forward in life successfully. Acceptance then is the other issue we must address to learn, and relate to disabilities, as well as relate to everyone around us.

DISCLAIMER:

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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