Know about your mental health and wellbeing
Spinal cord injury and your mental health
Living with a spinal cord injury can be a huge challenge, testing your resilience and ability to cope with daily challenges. Following your injury, you may find that life roles have dramatically changed. Learning to live with your spinal cord injury involves a new and different way of life that can sometimes be challenging and confronting.
Most people with a spinal cord injury adjust and cope well, becoming more resilient. Being resilient means you get on with life, dealing with the injury as best you can in a positive manner. However, being resilient means you will still experience threats to your mental health, which is a normal reaction to SCI.
“Life with a spinal cord injury is challenging but challenges can be rewarding, satisfying and fun. Lean into the discomfort and you will find your way, there are so many opportunities to find beauty and enjoyment.”
Person with L1 paraplegia
Possible challenges
Following a spinal cord injury people can experience increased challenges with their mental health. This might include sleep disturbance, cognitive problems, grief and depression.
Good news!
It's important to remember that many of these experiences are very common and many people adjust and experience positive well-being over the long term.