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EMOTIONS. by Sylvia
Moody. Dyslexic
people are increasingly encouraged to view their dyslexia in a positive light.
However, many dyslexics feel a number of distressing emotions about their difficulties
and their situation. Most commonly reported are the following: Confusion
and bewilderment Many
adult dyslexics are unaware that they have a recognizable pattern of difficulties
which can be significantly alleviated through the learning of appropriate skills
and strategies. Typically, therefore, an adult dyslexic feels thoroughly confused.
He/she seems to be quite bright and quick-thinking in some ways, but apparently
quite slow and 'stupid' in others. Embarrassment,
shame and guilt Feelings
of embarrassment about dyslexia can deepen into shame, and, whereas embarrassment
is often specific to a particular situation, shame seems to seep through the whole
personality. Often dyslexic people come to feel that they have a guilty secret.
Ella, a successful potter, describes it thus: I
had a secret inside me. I kept 'it' in a box; and would only open the lid very
cautiously. You may well laugh when you know the contents of the box: it was dyslexia.
That word, that almost indescribable thing, lived in the box and pervaded almost
every part of my life, but no one could see it. It was a living nightmare. Lack
of confidence, low self-esteem. The
emotions described above bewilderment, shame, guilt deal a crippling blow
to confidence and self-esteem. Lack of confidence manifests itself both in relation
to specific tasks that a dyslexic person finds difficult, and in a more general
way. At work there is a feeling of not being competent to hold down one's job.
There is also a nervousness about applying for promotion, or for another job.
In interviews, particularly, lack of confidence can be very damaging. The
daily questionings of one's own abilities and capacities will slowly but surely
erode one's self-esteem. Among all the problems, the difficulties, the inefficiencies,
the traumas, where is the person who is of worth? Is there such a person in there
somewhere? Lack of confidence may result in aggressive or defensive behavior.
Then the dyslexic person becomes trapped in a pattern of interaction, or rather
reaction, which imprisons him/her in a lonely and distressing world. Frustration
and anger. A
sense of being imprisoned, trapped, impotent is often reported by dyslexic adults.
George, a long-distance lorry driver, describes it thus: I felt I couldn't move
in any direction. In my job I was always moving, going in all directions, but
in myself I couldn't go anywhere. I was grounded. That's why I liked the driving
I would drive and drive and drive to try and get away from the frustration,
but however far you drive, you can't get away from yourself. In
human beings, frustration soon turns to anger. But who should the anger be directed
against? Who is to blame? All too often dyslexic adults end up blaming themselves. Anxiety,
fear and panic. Whatever
difficulties one may have in life, anxiety usually makes them worse, and this
is certainly true of dyslexic difficulties: adult dyslexics become locked in a
vicious circle of anxiety and inefficiency. Anxiety and stress can also precipitate
physical symptoms: panic attacks, nausea, migraine, susceptibility to illness.
Being physically below par naturally further reduces efficiency and so the downward
spiral continues. Despondency,
depression and despair. If
the difficulties continue to go unrecognised, if there is continual failure in
attempts to study and hold down jobs, then the dyslexic person may lose hope and
sink into depression. Relief,
determination and hope. It
perhaps seems as if this paper has been full of doom and gloom. Yet all the emotions
that have been described here are commonly reported by dyslexic adults. However,
once dyslexic difficulties have been recognized, and strategies for dealing with
them put in place, life can often take a turn for the better. All the energy that
previously went into worrying about the problems, and covering them up, can now
be channeled into developing effective ways of dealing with them, both practically
and emotionally. What usually emerges most strongly is a sense of hope and a feeling
of determination to turn ones life around. As
James, who was recently diagnosed as dyslexic, said: I felt as if the prison
doors had been opened. I looked out and saw paths leading in all directions. I
didn't know which of the paths was mine. All I did know was that I would have
a path in future and that the years of confinement were over. Further
reading: Dyslexia
in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett
and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr. Dyslexia
at College, by Tim Miles and Dorothy Gilroy, published by Routledge. Dyslexia
and Stress,
edited by Tim Miles and Ved Varma, published by Whurr. Help
organisations: The British Dyslexia Association
01189 668271. The Dyspraxia Foundation 01462 454986. www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk Dyslexia Adults Link www.dyslexia-adults.com Dr
Sylvia Moody is a chartered psychologist who specialises in assessing adults who
have dyslexic/dyspraxic difficulties. |