Anger and Emotional Management Post Spinal Cord Injury!

It's interesting to see that frustration is more issue than anger for most of us but it makes sense really. Loss of independence and  ability to carry out tasks would create significant frustration.


I cant remember ever being angry in my life, i tend to get upset and frustrated mainly.

As one of the oldster's in the group, the frustration never ends. If anything, it gets worse because the stuff that works has been overworked, and it doesn't want to work any more. Anger is too strong a word for what I feel now. To carry that much anger this long would have been self-destructive. Like many of us, I would turn the anger inward, and it would develop into depression.

For me the solution is to stay busy. Keep your mind and the working parts of your body as active as possible. If it can move, move it. The endorphins from exercise are better than synthetic drugs. The "there is always someone worse than you" rationalization only goes so far. However, if you can find a way to be helpful or useful to others, like participating in an SCI forum, you can re-direct your frustration. Also, writing things help you articulate and explain them to yourself.

As a Christian, I find great comfort in my faith. Without a God who understands the things I don't even know how to say, there would be no one to listen to the things that matter most. There would be nothing or no one that is bigger than SCI. True belief in an eternity that will overcome SCI is a victory waiting to happen. Many, perhaps most, will disagree with me. That's your prerogative. I'm just sharing what works for me. This isn't about miracles, although I believe in them, but about taking what is left and making some sense of life. Scientific and medical studies actually show that people who believe in prayer do better than people who don't. I'll do a search later and try to post the study.

We do suffer from PTSD. If you don't believe it, how does your body react to a sudden, unexpected loud noise? When that startle reflex goes through your whole being, out of proportion to the noise, that's PTSD. When you unexpectedly hear that someone has been paralyzed and you fall in to a depressed state, that's PTSD. Just like we have to have a plan for dealing with bowel and bladder issues, we need a plan for dealing with PTSD. Depression is it's big brother, and we don't need to go there again. The SCI life can be incredibly difficult, but it's the only one we have. Use it or lose it. I prefer attempting to find some reason to wake up every day. It also helps to have good people in your life. They are invaluable.

Excellent post hobo! I think what you're doing is great and there'll always be some tough times but as long as you work to overcome those times, things aren't as bad.

Lαrα, on that same trip to Europe we boarded the bullet train in Paris and headed to Switzerland where we changed trains. There was no ramp at the station and 4 well meaning husky guys picked me up in my chair (with a stack of washers in place of a caster bearing) and started carrying me down the steps. They got a couple steps and dropped me! Fortunately I wasn't severely hurt, just bruised and really sore... Frustrations with well meaning people!

I have more stories than you can imagine!