AngryHobbit
Senior Master
Today, I had the honor and the privilege to be the guest speaker in the Coffee and Conversation series at Reuter YMCA in Asheville, NC. Today's topic was "Disabilities (visible and invisible) and exercise". As a side note - I have social anxiety and deplore public speaking (I actually had to take my panic pill before going in), but the topic is very important to me and I felt I really needed to get out there and talk about it.
We covered A LOT of ground - it's a huge topic after all. The main takeaways from our discussion were:
- If your doctor is not listening to you when it comes to chronic issues, do not hesitate to find another doctor. It's not "all in your head". It's not "just something you ate". Your concerns are valid and you deserve to be heard.
- Ask about physical therapy. It's not just for people recovering from specific injuries or surgeries - it can work for chronic issues too, and insurance companies do cover at least some of the cost.
- If your issue is the kind that cannot be operated or cured, and you know you will be faced with it for the rest of your life, try everything you can think of when it comes to exercise and put together your own exercise program you are absolutely in love with. You have to love it because you will have to do it for as long as you live - might as well enjoy yourself.
- Disability doesn't just affect our bodies physically and mentally - it also affects our social circles. If you have lost friends at the same time you started having health problems, time to find new friends - as scary as it sounds. Build a new circle. Have your own cheerleading squad. Whether you decide to try sky diving or do a mud run - it helps to know someone is always there with pompoms and ribbons to cheer you on.
- Don't be ashamed to be seen. You are not a disabled person - you are a person with a disability. There is a difference. Disability comes second - it may affect your life, but it doesn't define you. There is more to you. Others like you are afraid to be seen too, and you may be the one to help bring them out of hiding. You are not a burden - you are a person, and a beacon of light to those who are struggling.
We covered A LOT of ground - it's a huge topic after all. The main takeaways from our discussion were:
- If your doctor is not listening to you when it comes to chronic issues, do not hesitate to find another doctor. It's not "all in your head". It's not "just something you ate". Your concerns are valid and you deserve to be heard.
- Ask about physical therapy. It's not just for people recovering from specific injuries or surgeries - it can work for chronic issues too, and insurance companies do cover at least some of the cost.
- If your issue is the kind that cannot be operated or cured, and you know you will be faced with it for the rest of your life, try everything you can think of when it comes to exercise and put together your own exercise program you are absolutely in love with. You have to love it because you will have to do it for as long as you live - might as well enjoy yourself.
- Disability doesn't just affect our bodies physically and mentally - it also affects our social circles. If you have lost friends at the same time you started having health problems, time to find new friends - as scary as it sounds. Build a new circle. Have your own cheerleading squad. Whether you decide to try sky diving or do a mud run - it helps to know someone is always there with pompoms and ribbons to cheer you on.
- Don't be ashamed to be seen. You are not a disabled person - you are a person with a disability. There is a difference. Disability comes second - it may affect your life, but it doesn't define you. There is more to you. Others like you are afraid to be seen too, and you may be the one to help bring them out of hiding. You are not a burden - you are a person, and a beacon of light to those who are struggling.
