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Coming to terms with the mental effects of SMA
May is mental health awareness month, and you may have already seen some posts going around on social media about it. As such, I wanted to bring this topic up, and talk about how it relates to SMA.
Granted, I don’t pretend to be an expert on this issue, and I have friends who have dealt with far more severe mental health issues than I have. Still, I have had times when both having SMA and just life in general have taken a toll on me mentally and emotionally. I’ve written about this before, sharing some of the tips I implement to cope with mental and emotional stress: https://smanewstoday.com/2018/01/30/sma-mental-defense-3-things-that-helped-me-combat-emotional-tolls/?amp
Again, I’m no psychiatrist, but I’m a firm believer that sharing some of these experiences with a supportive community can be extremely helpful. I want you all to know that we are here to support each other.
That said, are there any strategies you all have for coping with the mental and emotional effects of SMA?
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6 Replies
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I think main strategies at people with SMA is that they are religious.I am also religious but these year I have little problems with anxiety and because that I take sometimes pills for calm.In past I never use that pills but when we are older we are physical weaker and that affect on our psychic condition.
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Definitely. Yeah I know my faith has been instrumental in helping me come to grips with my physical limitations. I’m glad that’s helped you as well.
And yeah I haven’t used medications before, but it’s something I’d certainly consider if I were to face severe anxiety or something. Right now though I’m at a really good point in my life and my mental health has been good.
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I’m actually writing a column about this which I can share here soon. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by everything we can’t do, and forget about what gifts and abilities we do have. I think it is imperative to identify a few strengths and take them as far as possible. For example, I want to focus on writing as much as I can, and take this as far as I can. The hope of one day writing books or doing sports journalism gives me hope, and helps me deal with all the physical limitations. I know it sounds cliche, but we need to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t do.
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Absolutely Ryan. I think that’s vital. Especially in this day and age, there are way more opportunities for people to use their minds than to do physical labor. Think of all the careers you can have just by using a computer: writer, computer programmer, engineer, podcaster, online educator, etc. Really the sky’s the limit today, and I honestly believe there is no better time for people with disabilities to enter the workforce and pursue careers. One of my good friends with SMA just got his masters degree. During this time, he was not only managing a full course load, but also working full-time. Despite people’s assumptions, there’s not much we can’t do.
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Big problems for us how we older we have heart problems,big heart pulse over 90 and causes some psychic problems,that is my opinion.
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Interesting. I haven’t dealt with heart issues before, but I’ve had plenty of respiratory problems over the years. I do a lot more chest PT now than I used to.
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