Do you consider yourself "disabled"?

uncle

uncle

Active member
I know I do not function as a "normal" person does. I used to be able to go out and not worry about anything. Now it seems like 90% of the time I go out I get severe anxiety.

When I am out I worry so much and I am very nervose. I work in construction and I can't help thinking something bad is going to happen. Then when I get home I'm fine.

All the worrying and depression that goes along with it has me feeling like I am disabled. I also have some form of turrets in which I talk to myself in front of others which of course leads to constant embarrasment.

Would you consider a person like me disabled>

Do you consider yourself disabled?
 
Hellhound

Hellhound

Super Moderator
I can't say if you're disabled or not, you should go to a doctor and ask them what they think.

I consider myself not disabled but very limited, because I can do very few things by myself. I don't think it's as severe as a disability and it probably has a solution. Or at least I hope so. Your case is probably similar and it might have a solution, but you should ask anyway.
 
S

Silatuyok

Well-known member
I'm definitely not disabled. Just challenged. From what you describe, it sounds like you suffer from generalized anxiety, which can be overcome. You don't sound disabled to me!
 
recluse

recluse

Well-known member
In a sense yes. my depression, social anxiety, severe low self esteem has robbed me of; Friends, girlfriend, living a productive life. I'm like an empty shell and i don't know what i am living for.
 
1

1962

Member
If you can't do basic things that others can do, that you want to do, yes I would consider you disabled.
 
Sacrament

Sacrament

Well-known member
Not at all. It's thoughts like that that make everything worse. You call yourself mentally challenged, disabled, a freak, bla bla bla. You're not. You get anxious in social situations, your self-esteem isn't the best, etc. These things are in the mind, and they can be flipped around.
 
this_portrait

this_portrait

Well-known member
No, I wouldn't consider you (or myself) disabled. The only time I feel someone can be "disabled" by SAD is if they can't even leave the house because of it.

I think a lot of people are hesitant to refer to someone with a mental problem in the worst form as "disabled," because normally when we think of disability, we think of someone who is physically disabled in some way. I know I can be hesitant to label someone with a mental illness as "disabled," but the more I see cases of people who can't even perform daily functions because they have an extremely severe case of anxiety or depression or something else, the more I think those people are indeed disabled. I guess the major difference is that mental problems can be overcome, whereas if you're paralyzed from the waist down and have to use a wheelchair for the rest of your life, you can't recover from that.

But I don't want to completely disregard mental illness from the category of "disabled," because I feel it's precisely that attitude that helps keep the stigma of mental illness alive and well in society.
 
razzle dazzle rose

razzle dazzle rose

Well-known member
Anxiety keeps me from doing a lot of things I want to do with my life. It gets in the way big time. At the moment, I don't have a job, I can't drive, and live with my parents. I do realize that all those things I want are attainable which is great, but I can't seem to do any of it. At least not right now. I don't feel like I am functioning. Or maybe I just don't give myself enough credit. I wouldn't want to label myself disabled but maybe I am. I have a long history of problems... I think I will probably always have issues, I just want to get to a level where I am functioning and enjoy life. Right now I am okay, and I can only take it day by day.
 
Last edited:
1

1962

Member
I don't differentiate between "mental" and "physical" disabilities because I believe all disabilities are physical. Brains are physical entities, like arms and legs. And just like arms and legs, they can be messed up to begin with or messed up by disease or traumatic event(s).

It doesn't make it worse for me to acknowledge to myself that I am physically disabled because my brain doesn't work properly, due to trauma I suffered as a child. In fact, as soon as I realized that my brain was actually damaged, I stopped pressuring myself to act as if it weren't and my symptoms (blushing, depression) improved quite a bit, especially the depression because I no longer felt responsible for my symptomatic behavior. It allowed me to stop continually beating myself up and expecting myself to be "normal".
 
S

Steffen

Member
No, I think you're functioning. You have a job and you're capable of keeping it. You're doing well despite your difficulties: that's success.

Personally, no, I do not consider myself disabled due to my anxiety. It makes life hard, but not impossible.
 
psych

psych

Well-known member
I guess I would consider myself as a regular person with a few problems that can make life difficult.
Only because I know that the anxiety can be overcome long enough for me to work, grocery shop, & handle the things I need to... Though really difficult at times.

At least I'm not using a walker... yet... :p
 
cowboyup

cowboyup

Well-known member
I don't know if you are disabled or not and that would be something you need to discuss with your doctor.

for myself, I would not consider disabled. Certainly, my life is challenging, some days more so than others, but somehow I get through it.

Just one baby step at a time for me. I also don't disregard the fact that yes, sometimes the depression and anxiety and worry get in the way of leading a functioning, normal life. But the way I view it as that it is an obstacle I trudge through each day and try to take it as it comes. Otherwise if I were to just throw my hands up, there'd be nothing left for me to fight for. Hope that makes sense. Sometimes I tend to ramble - sorry about that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top