THE SEXUAL NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES – EMOTIONAL NEEDS (MAJOR TRAUMA)
A necessary, albeit painful, area to address is the feeling of loss that occurs when a person has experienced a major trauma, for instance the loss of a limb, or the loss of function following a head injury, stroke or progressive disease. The change in body image is very damaging to most people. The temptation to encourage bravery in the face of adversity, the ‘stiff upper lip’ approach, or the rush to empty reassurance that it is all right, when it is quite clearly not all right at all, is far from helpful. The person needs to be able to grieve for what is lost and to express feelings such as anger, fear and hopelessness.
Especially as the teens are entered, with the muddled confusion of feelings that comes with adolescence, anxieties about whether young people will be sexually acceptable and attractive to their peers can be overwhelming.
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