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You probably aren't working right now. Whether you loved
your job or had a normal degree of discontent, it gave you
somewhere to go, a social circle of friends and acquaintances,
a sense of usefulness and productivity, a regular paycheck.
Even if you didn't love your job, it provided structure, daily
activity, problems to solve, interactions with others. You
were part of "the big picture".
When first coping with your disability, your time is filled
with new and different challenges - doctor and therapy appointments,
things to learn about your insurance and benefits, and people
from work stop in or call to check up on you.
As the weeks and months go by, things begin to change again.
The doctor and therapy appointments may not be as frequent
and the friends from work get back into their usual routine.
Concerns may start to surface about finances. Your family
structure may change because you are no longer the provider
and they have to care for you. Your medical situation may
be causing you a great deal of pain and you are left with
figuring out how to handle it. You may have many restrictions
that you didn't have before. You begin to worry that you may
never be productive again.
Everyone's situation is different. Your may still be recovering,
but it's not too early to set time frames
for your return to work and eventual productivity.
But it might be an entirely different situation as well.
You may no longer have an employer or job to return to. You
may not be able to return to the kind of work that you have
done in the past because of your restrictions. You might have
a high level of pain that you are going to have to learn to
live with.
So, a disability can be a temporary setback or it can be
a totally life changing experience. How you choose to cope
with it will make the difference. We are all different in
our psychological makeup so the nature or the severity of
the disability matters little in your individual ability to
cope with it. We all know people that function "normally"
and have happy and productive lives despite the fact that
we know that they are sick or in a great deal of pain.
Remember that your feelings are very unique and whatever
you are feeling is normal because of the big change that has
occurred in your life! But there are times when you may not
be able to see "the light at the end of the tunnel"
and feel more depressed, sad or confused. Don't be
afraid to seek professional counseling to help you through
this challenging time.
Your disability insurance carrier usually offers Vocational Rehabilitation
services to qualified benefit recipients and there are many public services
available for counseling and financial help if you are unable to pay for this
yourself. All of the States have a federally
funded Vocational Rehabilitation agency that can assist you in dealing with
your disability and associated issues and your return to work. The Social Security
Administration offers income assistance, medical coverage, and many other services
to qualified candidates.
Remember that you are not in this alone, despite your unique
situation, and there are many resources available to help
you to adjust and become productive again.
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