The Mighty Logo

When I Never Let Anyone See Me Break in My Life With Cerebral Palsy

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

Growing up with cerebral palsy, people often assume you are weak and fragile. I try not to let my cerebral palsy get the best of me, but I’m human and sometimes I would get angry because my body doesn’t always cooperate with me. I hardly ever let anyone see the side of me that breaks down. I felt I had to be tough, I couldn’t let people see me at my weakest point. If I let people see me at my weakest point, then I would just be showing them how weak I really was. I would hold my emotions inside until they boiled up and erupted like a volcano.

Now that I’m getting older, I’m realizing getting angry and breaking down is part of being human. I’m getting better at holding in my emotions, but sometimes when I have a bad day I’ll put on a fake persona and act like everything is OK when inside I feel I have no control, because it is easier than facing what I’m really feeling. Sometimes hiding behind the mask is easier than facing the truth. On rare occasions I still get upset with my body and the pain that comes along with having cerebral palsy, but then I think about all the positive things that have happened from having cerebral palsy and the positive always outweighs the negatives. I’ve realized breaking down is only a sign of strength. As humans we can only take so much until we all break down.

This story originally appeared on Mascara and Motivations.

Getty image by Katarzyna Bialasiewicz.

Originally published: August 13, 2018
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home