Medical Solution: Spasm

Most physical disabilities can be helped in a medical way. With helped, I don't mean cured, but it can certainly be made easier, or easier to bare.

For example, people that suffer from a spasm can sometimes benifit a medical solution. The solution is something that would make most people laugh and quirk the odd eyebrow: Botox.

A Botox treatment is not just for wrinkles, no, though the effect is quite similar. When wrinkles are being treated in this way, what they do is inject Botox into the tiny muscles that cause them, and the wrinkles disappear. When Botox is injected into a muscle, the muscle relaxes. I've had such a treatment on my left arm and hand, and found that it was indeed a better look, and better feeling. A Botox treatment has to be repeated once every three to four months.

Botox can, though it doesn't have to be so, reduce the functionality of the muscles. This is why I chose not to get Botox treatment on my hand anymore, but I still get treatment for my arm.

The Botox treatment is, in the right quantity, not a very dangerous procedure. In most countries, it is covered by insurance and doesn't have to be done in a hospital.

Don't Try To Overcompensate

Many of us feel that a disability is a flaw. We feel that we are less than we can be and therefor some of feel that we have to compensate for that flaw.

There is nothing wrong with focussing on other things in our lives, if we feel that we do have to compensate on other fields. There is nothing wrong with that, you could see it as a bad writer focussing on science instead of writing.

However, it is very important that you don't go to far. There is such a thing as overcompensation. This is can destroy you and make you feel very unhappy and unsatisfied with yourself. You have to take satisfaction in the things you do and take even the smallest compensations as an accomplishment.

Last but not least, you should never feel that it a necessity to compensate your handicap. It is part of who you are and thus you and other people have to accept it.

Appreciate What You Have

It's been a while since I shared some of my advice and experiences with you, simply because I felt I had nothing that would be of any use to you. But now, I'm back with advice that could probably be the most helpful piece of advice I have given you so far.

It's very important to appreciate what you have. It's easy to dream about things that you don't have, can't have, will never have. It will only get you down. It's much more difficult, but also much more important, to accept and be happy with the things you do have or the things that are within your reach. Sometimes, if you keep dwelling on the things that you will never have, and they make you genuinely unhappy, it's even more difficult to even realise what you have.

Like in the winter, I get a bit down when mates are going skating and going to the pub to have drinks afterwards and I can't go because I'm in a wheelchair. But then I realise that these same friends will be around the next day to catch a film with me, or go shopping in the freezing cold with me. Just one of the many examples of the things that could easily go unnoticed. Don't let them. Look around you and see what you have. Enjoy it. Appreciate it.

Accept Help

Having a disability can be very hard to deal with. You're different, and everyone can see. You might be pulled down by your handicap in the things that you love to do. Torn from your dreams by the cruel harsh reality. It's difficult. You might be very proud and you might want to be as independent as you can be. But you don't have to do it all alone.

There is a lot of help for you coming from all directions. Your friends, strangers, the medical world, all waiting to help you. At first it might feel awkward, accepting their help, especially if you are a strong willed, spirited person. However, there is no reason to make your life harder than it has to be. The world won't be less proud of you when you've accepted the help of others. Everyone helps someone in their lives, though maybe not as obviously as helping someone with a handicap. Yet, we all help each other. You don't have to prove that you can do everything by yourself, because life is a team sport! A one way street won't get you home!

Help is there for you, take it!

Give People Time

Sometimes people might not immediately understand you or your handicap. They might not accept you as a normal human being from the first moment they see you. In fact, they might even try and avoid you. This will cause them not to get to know you as a person and not seeing beyond the handicap. You might just be 'the girl in the wheelchair' or 'that blind guy with the guide dog' to them.

The key to get through to people, however, is giving them time. If you really want a person to get to know you and accept you for all that you are, be patient. Make it known that you would like to get to know the person, but if it's clear that he or she feels uncomfortable around you because of your disability, don't force it. If you're impatient, you'll have to accept that you can't make it work that way.

Just be patient.

Be Open

If you want your handicap to be accepted by people, it's very important to be open about it. One of the main reasons people look at you funny, treat you like a lesser person or in fact ignore you because of your handicap, it's because they do not understand it.

Do you notice when people look at you and their eyes sort of squint and their lips move but they don't actually say anything? This is when they are wondering what it is that you have. Why you look funny, walk funny. This is when they want to ask you, but are afraid to, or are afraid you'll feel hurt.

This is why you've got to be open and explain what 'is wrong with you'. It'll open people's eyes and clear whatever obstacle it was that kept them away from you. With the unfamiliar out of the way, they'll judge you on your talents, not on your 'flaws'.

Exploit Your Talents

When you suffer from a physical disability, the range of things you can do will most likely be limited. Therefore it is very important that you treasure what you cán do and exploit your talents.

The thing about talent that makes it so great is that in most cases, people really enjoy practising that talent. Devote several hours a day to your talent, and not only will you have fun, you will also feel good about yourself and you'll have something that other people will admire you for.

Most of the time, your talents will be forced into a certain direction. You could be an amazing writer. That makes you good in most likely a lot of things to do with communication. You could be a people person, you'll find yourself good company to others and also great listener. If that is what you enjoy, try to help others with problems and cheer them up when they are down. People will be grateful to you.

Try to discover as much of your talents as you possibly can. The more talents, the more admiration. People see talents, and I assure you that they enjoy watching your talent more than watching your disability. You make what they see. If you fail at a talent, then it isn't really a talent. There are plenty more for you to exploit. You just have to want it.