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Show 244 Growling in Public "Wolf above; cliff below." That was how my college psychology professor allegorically described the dilemma also known as a catch-22. There are plenty of wolf vs. cliff moments when disability is apart of one s life. The column has begun. There is research. There are interviews and deadlines. Voc rehab consented with unprecedented speed to provide me with an expensive grey laptop computer and a cheap blonde pressboard desk. I am loving both. I am learning about other diseases, other disabilities, other issues than just those facing me and my family. I am meeting other advocates across this state and learning about other advocates throughout the nation. Just having a disability, I am coming to realize, does not mean automatically understanding the issues. ...let's say the brain has a problem. Like any other body organ, a lot can go wrong with the brain. Unlike any other body organ, when something goes wrong with the brain, its owner often gets trashed by other people -just mention how the treatment for your schizophrenia is going at your next dinner party and measure the ensuing distance from you everyone then assumes. The wolf's bite from this stigma may even keep some people from admitting illness and seeking treatment. |