ABSTRACT
Most often disability is thought to be a visible physical disability with a stable course, such as paralysis or blindness. Both the individual with the disability and the public find little ambiguity in these types of disabilities. However, very often disabilities are invisible, are cognitive or psychiatric disabilities, and have fluctuating or episodic courses. A great deal of the difficulty of responding to these types of disabilities with a high degree of ambiguity is in society’s responses. Individuals with these types of disabilities often receive little social support and feel a sense of helplessness because they can neither predict or control “flare-ups.” In this chapter, practice applications are provided for six types of disabilities. These are 1) the silent transition of having a baby with a congenital disability; 2) the effects of a long pre-diagnosis period; 3) the lack of social support for IWDs; 4) the difference between role models and “disabled heroes”; 5) the difficulty of dating; and 6) the effects of a disability upon marriage and other long-term romantic relationships. Practice applications include cognitive-behavioral techniques, building ego strength, values clarification, improving social efficacy, and assertiveness training.
