Social Stigma

 

Social Stigma

[Sharing of thoughts by Parent of a very Special Child]

The differently abled population and their kin face social stigma on a daily basis.  Ever wondered where does it all start?  It starts within the families of the differently abled.  There is a lot of hush-hush on the discussion of these children.  They are looked upon as a burden.  Seldom does anybody in their familyother than the parents try to understand what they are going through - mentally and physically.

Wouldn’t blame the family alone.  Their behaviour is a direct result of the unkind stares and unsolicited advice they get from kith, kin and acquaintances about what sheer bad luck that they have to put up with such a fate. 

The family in turn tries to hide the special child from public view.  If the problem is not so severe, they ignore it saying it will go away.  The special children engage in some different behaviours to help themselves cope with the outside world.  They perceive the world differently.

They are as much as God’s children as all of us are.  What gives anybody the right to judge them or decide what is appropriate behaviour? Special children may make some sounds or giggle suddenly.  There is a physiological reason for all this.

But, alas, neither do the parents nor the society wants to know why they behave the way they do.  No one cares.

The love and acceptance of these children, firstly by their families and then later on, by the society will go a long way in making life more livable for them.

We, as a society, need to be more sensitive towards this segment of the population.  Many a times, parents of these children are made to feel that they have committed a sin by giving birth to a child with special needs.

It is neither the child’s fault nor the parents.  Life is already tough for the family trying to avoid the unnecessary attention and advice.  The society at large needs to be aware of the problems to get sensitized about the special children.

The parents of special children need not feel guilty.  Feel proud of your child, yourself.  You are doing a good job.  Take your child out and give them the exposure they deserve.  The Society will also learn to accept them.

Mental health of the Autism Moms

 Hi Everyone

I had decided  to announce to the world a few years back that Im a proud mother of  a sweet little boy on the autism  spectrum. I also discussed my son's  challenges being on the spectrum and the challenges  faced by a  neurodivergent(ND) household for the sake of the neurotypical(NT) society to understand the other side of things.
I  have a request to the ND  child's parents to try and  understand  as to how  important  it is  to view your child's development  in isolation  and  the only yardstick to measure them would be their  own previous record comparing them to anyone is so unfair.

The mental health  issues faced by primary caregivers needs to be addressed. It is for real. Time to face them head on.

My tryst with anxiety and anger reached a point of squishing all the relationships  I had taken years to build.
I went into therapy to deal with it. And thanks to my therapist
today I am in a more peaceful  space. This doesn't mean all the problems  I am facing have vanished.  It means I learnt to change my thinking  rather than sit and cry about things which I can't control. My happiness  is  no longer tied down to something  special happening.  I choose to be happy no matter what.  Practicing meditation  helped  me a lot to reconnect with myself.

All through these trying times  one person  who had absolute faith in me was my husband . I  had lost myself due to the anxiety. 
He was patiently standing by me throughout  all my difficult  times.

All of us need that one person to have faith in us . It can be anyone a friend, a relative . So start  to build your emotional  support system. Be more understanding  of others going through mental health issues.
It's high time to leave behind the taboo associated with it.

 Seek the help of a psychiatrist or a therapist, do whatever it takes to help you.
Own it , accept  it and work towards healing yourself.
This post is a shout out to all those  dealing with anxiety ,trying times and yet garnering up courage to show up each day to do their duty no matter how much trouble is brewing up inside them.

Reach out to your loved ones and open up about things bothering  you. 
Take professional  help if need be.

I'm proud of my self  to have shown the courage to accept my faults and shortcomings.


For only if we care for ourselves  can we care for our children  and help them grow.