Cerebral Palsy is what I was born with and is what I deal with, but it frustrates me immensely when I read about people who have Cerebral Palsy and think it's something they will overcome. It's such false representation of what Cerebral Palsy is.
Cerebral Palsy isn’t something you overcome. It’s something you endure, something you put up with. You can never overcome something that’s permanent. Emotionally we can have a good try, but physically, no.
It’s also something you can't switch off to. It’s not something that gets easier over time either. It’s also not something everyone knows about. Sadly, there is a lot of ignorance on what Cerebral Palsy is.
You learn to adapt. If anything Cerebral Palsy is harder to deal with, particularly as we age. Perhaps people need to see it as a condition that's here to stay and is something we never get better from.
I've also been told it’s not something likely to change in my lifetime and beyond that.
Yes, that's what a lot of people don't seem to realize in thinking CP is a condition that can be cured like any other disease!
Once the damage is done to the body and mind it can't be reversed. It's like people expecting someone with a mental illness to "
just get over it! If it was really that simple, I think I would have done it a very long time ago.
I so wish that there was a magic pill that would cure CP and all the other conditions that exist, but I haven't found one yet.
Thanks Randy. Yes I do too but I know that won't happen.
I believe we must make ourselves aware of what people deal with, but must also understand what we deal with, so we don't live with false hope. We also need to be aware of the things we know can change, whilst being aware of the things that we can't, so that we don't live with false hope.
Cerebral palsy isn't something we overcome.
That's true. We can't overcome Cerebral Palsy, instead we learn how to deal with it.
I think we will always struggle with it emotionally because the physical aspect can be emotionally tiring to deal with and because of the way society sees people with disabilities.
It can be frustrating and tiring having to prove that we are not the way they perceive us.
Thanks Maria. Ditto on your thoughts. I'm sure your response will resonate with those of us who deal with Cerebral Palsy. This is how I see things too.
Having Cerebral Palsy is always emotionally tiring because we have to deal with the emotions first and that's not easy.