Ableism
2/4/08
Issues of Ableism
Issues of ableism have affected my personal life in that I struggled several years with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as O.C.D. This disorder may be categorized as a mental disability but for me it definitely hindered my growth in society and as an individual. Although coping with this disorder was my personal responsibility, it affected the lives of my loved ones. It was difficult for my sister, for example, to be faced with confrontations from schoolmates, mutual friends, and even strangers about my O.C.D. Each day for approximately six years was a hardship because I was so uncomfortable with myself and what kind of person I displayed myself to be. Living life under such a pressure and fear, I truly did feel disabled, as if I was missing some piece of normality which most people were born with and took advantage of. After several failed counseling sessions with psychologists and psychiatrists, I decided to take control of my own future and force the change that needed to take place in my life. With the incredible faith of my family and friends, I overcame that feat which caused me to feel a much stronger sense of self and will. Looking back I feel gratified to have gone through such a life-changing ordeal. Although I did feel disabled and weak while in the long process toward recovery, now that I’m recovered I feel even stronger than the average person who hasn’t gone through a similar experience. A lesson to acknowledge from my experience is that as disabled people may look or feel significantly weak or unable to support a “normal” lifestyle, they often prove to be stronger mentally and emotionally if they manage to obtain some sort of victory through their plight. Besides the various forms of obsessive-compulsive disorders and varying learning disabilities, my consciousness of ableism is not terribly significant. I have never had anyone close to me suffer from serious, debilitating physical traumas besides
Issues of Ableism
Issues of ableism have affected my personal life in that I struggled several years with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, also known as O.C.D. This disorder may be categorized as a mental disability but for me it definitely hindered my growth in society and as an individual. Although coping with this disorder was my personal responsibility, it affected the lives of my loved ones. It was difficult for my sister, for example, to be faced with confrontations from schoolmates, mutual friends, and even strangers about my O.C.D. Each day for approximately six years was a hardship because I was so uncomfortable with myself and what kind of person I displayed myself to be. Living life under such a pressure and fear, I truly did feel disabled, as if I was missing some piece of normality which most people were born with and took advantage of. After several failed counseling sessions with psychologists and psychiatrists, I decided to take control of my own future and force the change that needed to take place in my life. With the incredible faith of my family and friends, I overcame that feat which caused me to feel a much stronger sense of self and will. Looking back I feel gratified to have gone through such a life-changing ordeal. Although I did feel disabled and weak while in the long process toward recovery, now that I’m recovered I feel even stronger than the average person who hasn’t gone through a similar experience. A lesson to acknowledge from my experience is that as disabled people may look or feel significantly weak or unable to support a “normal” lifestyle, they often prove to be stronger mentally and emotionally if they manage to obtain some sort of victory through their plight. Besides the various forms of obsessive-compulsive disorders and varying learning disabilities, my consciousness of ableism is not terribly significant. I have never had anyone close to me suffer from serious, debilitating physical traumas besides