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I once viewed spasmodic dysphonia as a door that was closing on me, shutting me off from normal social discourse. I held my breath, hoping that door wouldn't slam shut and leave me totally silent and alone. However, the Internet has changed the way I perceive my world. Now I know that at most any time of day or night I can hop on-line to "talk it up" with other people with SD and even communicate with the scientific and medical people trying to find a cure for my disorder. Many individuals with SD have told me that going on-line was the watershed experience of their SD journey-the catalyst that helped them reclaim their lives once again and reconnect to the rest of the world.
-- Dot Sowerby, from the book "Speechless"
Spasmodic dysphonia is a unique and individualized disorder. It affects people in different ways both physically and emotionally. Support is a critical piece to understanding and dealing with SD. The NSDA offers a range of support options to fit the needs of affected individuals and their families.
Support groups, both on-line and in-person, give help and hope. They can provide companionship, offer valuable adaptive strategies, and lessen the loneliness and isolation that may play role a in chronic disorders. Support groups also provide people a chance to give of themselves, and, when doing so, help others and themselves.
Printed material and videos help to better understand what SD is and assist in educating family, friends, and others, while symposiums provide a chance meet with others affected by SD and ask questions of the leading medical professionals in the field.
All these programs are offered to provide an opportunity for people not only to cope with SD, but also to reach beyond the disorder until a cure is found.
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