Spinal cord injury is overwhelming. Our lives change in the blink of an eye. The challenges look daunting and the limitations are shocking and disheartening. Rising to meet the challenges and accept the losses can be a journey.
Many people with spinal cord injuries struggle with mental health, whether it’s depression, PTSD, anxiety, or understandably all of the above. The amount of support we have and our own character traits contribute to how much we may struggle with mental health issues. Where do we turn? How can we build mental resilience?
Therapy
You may benefit from speaking to a therapist. It’s all part of self-care. You go to a doctor and treat the problem, when you have issues with your body. Why not do the same for your mind?
The results of psychological therapy tend to last longer than those produced by treating mental health with medication, and don’t produce harmful side effects like many medications do. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can train the mind to stay in the present and find peace in anxious times. It takes dedication though, as well as effort, time, and sometimes a good therapist.
You don’t need to learn these techniques from a therapist though. There is a multitude of literature available both online and in print which offers CBT techniques individuals can use to strengthen mental fortitude. If you’ve never picked up a self help book, now might be the time.
You can explore alternative therapies like humanistic therapy which focuses on our own capacity to make rational choices and develop to our maximum potential and existential therapy that focuses on self-determination and the search for meaning.
With spinal cord injury comes an enormous lack of control over our lives. This manifests in different ways: anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression. A therapy program involves learning to focus on what’s in your control, and practice techniques for coping with what’s not, whether it’s the practice of redirecting the mind, checking the validity of negative thoughts, or learning meditation techniques.
A therapist may help your family relationships too. The injury happened to you, but your family’s lives may have been turned upside down, too. Family members who provide a lot of care are especially at risk for depression and anxiety.
Seek therapists who are in your insurance network, as most therapists charge well over $100 an hour. Insurance should pay for a couple visits a month. Don’t assume the first therapist you see is the right fit for you. Arrange to do a few sessions with several, if possible. Know what you’re looking for and share your therapy goals.
New apps like Talkspace even allow you to receive therapy from licensed counselors entirely online.
Peer Support
Sometimes our loved ones may have difficulty providing emotional support for personal reasons. Emotional support people can become overwhelmed if they are your only outlet. Research shows that leaning too hard on your children can affect them in negative ways. Having a therapist to lean on and provide constructive feedback can help you from leaning too much on your loved ones.
You can reach out to the SCI community online or attend a support group. It can be a relief to talk to individuals who are going through the same challenges. Other members who have been paralyzed for many years and adapted to life can help us grow too.
Check out these Facebook support groups:
Spinal Cord Peer Support Worldwide
Spinal Cord Newly Injured
Quad Squad (women)
You can also search for an in-person support group through United Spinal at unitedspinal.org/peer-support-groups
Post Traumatic Growth
Many people with SCI speak of the positive changes this injury has had upon our character. We note that we have built resilience, and a tendency to focus on what matters, improving our sense of self worth and our relationships. Post traumatic growth refers to the positive psychological change some people experience after a traumatic event, involving deeper appreciation for life,stronger relationships, recognizing personal strength, new possibilities, and spiritual shifts, often alongside or after symptoms of distress like PTSD. It’s about finding meaning and developing in profound ways, not just recovering.
These activities help us go to a positive headspace:
- Help others. Research shows that being helpful to others has a beneficial effect on how you feel about yourself. The meaning you find in helping others can enrich and expand your life.
- Show gratitude. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
- Stay Busy. We are happier when we are busy.
- Exercise and eat right. What we put in our bodies and how much we move them around plays a big role in anyone’s mental health.
- Get outside. Fresh air helps to send plenty of oxygen through the blood and allows your lungs to work at full capacity. Oxygen to your brain strengthens it, and the sun provides Vitamin D.
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