A New Voice Through Writing

After  trawling the internet I have noticed that there is a lack of books written by disabled people. This might be because often it is not easy to talk about disability or celebrate the positive. Of course when you have a disability it is tempting to shy away from breaking down the barrier and discussing it, but it is beneficial to both the reader and writer to talk more openly about something which impacts on our lives so significantly.

My reading taste is very eclectic and I will give any book a go, but what has been the most rewarding for me is when I have read autobiographies by people with disabilities. This is not to say I wouldn't enjoy something written by someone able-bodied, but as I am in a wheelchair myself I have been inspired by these particular kinds of autobiographies that I have read. They have given me an insight into people's ways of living which I may not have previously understood. For example, Jess Thom's "Welcome to Biscuitland" helped me to imagine what it must be like to live with Tourettes Syndrome throughout everyday life. This book gave me a new found respect for people who suffer from this, and has also given me a renewed hope that more individuals will share their stories. 

I have found in the past that most books written about living with cerebral palsy have failed to enlighten me, because the authors were fairly self-deprecating. Which is why I was so pleased when I stumbled across Francesca Martinez's "What The F*** is Normal?" In this book her character and spirit shone through, overcoming her disability. Martinez writes modestly about herself and her achievements, and doesn't allow her disability to control the narrative. It is important in these sorts of autobiographies to strike the difficult balance between enough lightheartness alongside exploring vulnerability, which she seems to do well. Books about disability should not dwell on the aspect of pity, instead they should focus on offering an insight. 

Writing is a release and a good way to carefully convey the implications with living with either a physical or mental disability. Words are powerful, as you will find in both Thom's and Martinez's books. It is a privilege to experience a person's life so closely and so deeply, through a text. It may reduce ignorance and would allow people to be better equipped to understand the situations of others. For this reason, I encourage others to share their stories, just as I intend to share mine. 

The Annual Disability lecture- Cambridge University, 2014

I attended the lecture on disability, slightly apprehensive of the way in which the lecture was going to be delivered, given that the topic of disability is such a sensitive issue. Generally disabilities and mental health are a conversational taboo because people neither understand them properly, nor want to talk about them. I was pleasantly surprised how the speaker, Dr Rachel Perkins, managed to address mental illness in a relaxed and respectful way, similar to how I am aim to when dealing with clients. What I drew from the lecture is that there seems to be three main reasons why people might choose not to accept help with a mental illness:

(i)                    They are scared of the stigma surrounding it. Unfortunately it still remains an embarrassing prospect for many people to face up to the label.  I want to dissipate the preconceptions.

(ii)                  Fear of the unknown, and fear of bothering someone, feeling unworthy of others spending time with them. Ultimately hoping it will all disappear.

(iii)                They are in denial and have failed to recognise that they are, in fact, ill.

These three reasons might be justified in the case of a patient visiting a doctor for advice, because they might be clinical in labelling a patient and prescribing certain drugs. However in a counselling scenario, there would be no form of judgment; each case would be evaluated individually. The main difference is that a counsellor has time and interest, which a typical GP might lack. Counselling is about normalising the illness, making the patient recognise that they are not the only one going through this, and that others have also overcome this. It offers a safe, non-judgmental, confidential setting. It is an alternative to taking medication, because talking helps discover new ways of finding purpose in life.

Many different things can trigger off negative thoughts and mental instability. We can’t assume that we are exempt from an illness of this kind. For example, eating disorders can develop from various life experiences, such as over-exposure to media expectations, stress, and warped body image. I specialise in counselling clients with: eating disorders, low self-esteem, and physical disabilities. Society today places an emphasis on how a ‘normal’ person should be, rather than how we want to be. But if we harbour self-defeating thoughts then we will never develop our full potential, and are always held back. Sometimes we need to seek the help of a counsellor who is impartial and willing to listen.

The concept of seeking a counsellor is becoming more accepted due to the fact that in modern day society we are faced with more issues than ever, and that we have to adapt to. We all need help at some stage in our lives, so instead of blaming ourselves or taking it out on other people, counselling acts as a coping mechanism. You will be taken seriously, no matter what size of the problem you bring to counselling sessions, because you are unique and everything affects us all in different ways.

As a wheelchair user, I have also needed to breakdown barriers within myself. I have now achieved what I set out to achieve, but this was only through acceptance of my circumstances and myself. This is why I believe that I am able to be sympathise with others going through any mental struggle.

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