People have different skills and abilities that allow us to lead daily lives differently.
Each person is unique, has different characteristics and his or her life is completely different from that of others. However, all people have skills and abilities in common with others. But, There are certain people who have abilities and skills that are different from others, who have lost them or have not developed them at all.
All of these people may have some kind of difficulty throughout their life.thus suffering disabilities depending on the type of problem or the abilities or organs that have some alteration.
What is disability?
Disabilities are understood as those situations in which a person's participation in some area is limited due to a deficiency in one of their organs or their intellectual capacity. Basically it is the existence of a limitation.
That a person has a disability implies a difficulty in participating in some actionscompared to the possibilities available to people who do not have any disabilities.
However, this It does not mean that the person cannot do the same activitieshe just needs a little more help than others to be able to do them.
Furthermore, it must be said that Having a disability is not the same as having a diseasesomething that many people believe to be the case.
Types of disability
People can suffer from different types of disability, there are 7 in total:
This type of disability is possessed by all those people who have a limitation generated by the presence of a problem that is linked to a elimination or reduction of physical or motor abilities. For example, the loss of a limb or its normal functionality.
These disabilities usually arise from spinal cord problems, head trauma, illnesses, accidents or congenital malformations.
This disability refers to the existence of limitations that come from some type of deficiency in the sensesThere may be alterations in all senses, although the most common are in sight or hearing.
Defined as a limitation in brain functionwhich can make it difficult to participate in social, academic and work environments or to develop autonomy. This occurs when someone has an IQ below 70, which influences social participation and cognitive skills.
There are different degrees of this disability, each with its own implications.
This occurs when there is some type of alteration in conduct and adaptive behavior. They usually come for some kind of mental disorder.
People with this disability present deficiency in any of its organswhich limits your life. These can lead to diabetes or heart problems.
Multiple disability is a a mixture of two different disabilitiesFor example, a deaf person (sensory disability) who is missing an arm (physical disability).
Try a free session
Control your anxiety, resolve your insecurities and conflicts with the professional help of a psychologist.
Make an appointment
Psychosocial disability, the great forgotten
When talking about disabilities, people usually only mention a few types of them (usually the ones mentioned above). However, No one mentions psychosocial disability.
This term arises from the social model that adds the human rights approach to the medical approach to define the restrictions that are caused by the social environment and that focus on a deficiency that is temporary or that remains due to the lack of diagnosis and adequate treatment of some mental dysfunctions.
The Commission on Government Policy on Human Rights (2012) has defined in its Glossary some terms that may be called disability. These include:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Panic disorder with post-traumatic stress disorder
- Anxiety disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Pervasive developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger's
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Border Disorder
- Personality disorder
- Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia
- Dual disorder
- Schizophrenia
These disorders usually appear in adolescence or early adulthood and vary depending on the dysfunction, completely affecting mental functions, thus limiting their ability to perform some activities in their daily life.
Psychosocial disability There is no timely diagnosis or adequate treatment for mental dysfunctions. The most important thing is to know at what age each one can appear in order to identify them as soon as possible and provide appropriate care for each one, with the aim of controlling, preventing and healing them.
When do these disorders begin?
- Anxiety and depression: Social phobia, specific phobia, separation phobia, trauma phobia, panic phobia, and others often begin in the childhood or adolescence.
- Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Asperger's Syndrome, autism, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and others occur at very early ages, in many cases The first symptoms have been observed in the first year of lifeHowever, the different manifestations that can occur coincide with other disorders and delay diagnosis. In addition, there is a lack of knowledge about them.
- Affective disorders: Major depression and bipolar disorder. According to studies, depression ranks first among the top 10 diseases that cause major disability. The age is not proven since It can appear in children (although few cases) and in pre-adolescents (up to 18%).
How can we help them?
Nowadays, society is becoming more aware that there are people with disabilities who need help, that we are not all the same and that each one has their limitations. There are more and more regulations that ensure the integration of people with disabilities, but it is true that sometimes these regulations are not complied with.
It is very common to see blind people or people with some kind of physical disability who cannot access some bars or restaurants. We all know someone close to us who has a disability and We often wonder how we can help you.
First of all, put ourselves in the person's place who has a disability, to know what they need. We cannot change the streets or the bars, but we can We can help them get into them, cross the street when there are no cars coming, or things like that.
For people with disabilities physical contact is very important. For example, placing a hand on the shoulder of a person who is deaf or visually impaired is a good way to get their attention.
For people with mental disabilities it is very important speak to them with affection and in simple, easy-to-understand language. You don't have to talk to them like children.
Despite using all these tips, it is important to know that for people with disabilities to fully enjoy their lives, they must have the same conditions and the same rights, something that must come from institutions.
If you know someone with a disability and want to learn how to help them, our Psychologists of Psychia They will help you. The first session is free.