Coming out is the process of identifying, accepting, and revealing one’s impairment to others. The process of one illuminating a very bright light on their impairment and coming out is termed as compelling. This process is not a one-day event but a lifetime process (Barnes and Mercer, 2010). The impaired people mostly always disclose their identity and orientation because the society they live in today assumes everybody is normal. Coming out is not an easy case because every new person they meet has to choose whether to come out or disclose impairment. The process begins with the individual (Barnes and Mercer, 2010). The stage is uncomfortable and stressful initially; this is because many the impaired people have digested the negative and misrepresented information from society. The last step includes coming out to people, like family, friends, workmates, or schoolmates (Barnes and Mercer, 2010). This step is difficult, too, because it involves convincing the assumption of society that everyone is normal. Those who manage to complete this process of coming out experience freedom and live authentically, forming a genuine relationship with those who understand them.
Impaired people face some challenges when coming out, especially if they live in an unsupportive surrounding. They face the challenge of selecting who to come out to first. It is very difficult for them to select who to start with (Bates, 2014). It is hard during the first time because they do not know how this person will react. It is easier for them to come out to the second person than the first one. Besides, choosing the appropriate time to come out is a challenge facing the impaired (Bates, 2014). The impaired are mostly confused at what time it is appropriate to come out.
Besides, the impaired face the challenge of wondering who will be on their side after they come out. The impaired worry much about who really cares about them and also who does not care (Burr, 2015). In some cases, there are those who care about them, while others do not care about them coming out. The impaired face another challenge of discovering the right words to use when coming out (Burr, 2015). They cannot use the same words to everyone because there are different categories. There words for family, workmate, teacher, and best friend, indeed there is a lot of speech.
Also, the impaired find a challenge when handling the nerves. In most cases, they are so nervous since they wonder will they mess up with the person they are coming out to (Cameroon, 2014). They see that it might be embarrassing because society assumes everyone is normal. Besides, the impaired always fear to open up because they may be told that they are confused (Cameroon, 2014). It will be a turn-off for them because they trusted that person and decided to come out to them only to receive feedback of being told they are confused.
Accepting one’s impairment has tremendous benefits on their mental wellness. Studies show that persons who accept who they are have fewer chances of hurting themselves, lows stress makers, and fewer mental health problems (Swain et al., 2014). By coming out, the impaired person takes away the pressure of keeping a big secrete to themselves (Dolmage and DeGenaro, 2005). Furthermore, pretending to feel a certain way when in a real sense one does not feel that way can cause pain and trauma. Through being open about one’s impairment, the impaired persons release a lot of pressure and experience a lot of calmness.
When the impaired individual starts being open about their impairment, their self-esteem grows. They become more content and sure of themselves in their current life (Dolmage and DeGenaro, 2005). One can live the way they meant to work towards their goals without fear of victimization. They can attend to their business like any other person and courageously interact with other people.
Coming out can deepen a relationship with people close to the impaired individuals. Hiding their real identity to people they are close to can be painful, but once they share the information of their impairment, their relationship is most likely to deepen that relationship (Dolmage and DeGenaro, 2005). Human beings tend to connect if they share vulnerable parts of their lives. It shows that they can trust each other and develops a natural bond between people.
Being open about one’s impairment is important for the impaired person since it is only then when they identify other the impaired individuals who they can connect with and share their experiences (Dolmage and DeGenaro, 2005). Being a part of a community or group can give them a feeling of belonging, love, and safety. Sharing ideas among the impaired individuals can be a game-changer to those who have low esteem because of their identity since they can learn from a more experienced member how to live without fear.
Coming out as the impaired individual is essential since it enables one to enhance their health and welfare. The impaired persons surround all tribes, races, and religions (Swain et al., 2014). The impaired identification is not very common in regional surveys; thus, it is very difficult to approximate the impaired persons and their health requirements (Swain et al., 2014). Research shows that many the impaired persons are faced with many health disparities related to societal stigma, denial of their human and civil rights, and discrimination. Discriminating the impaired individuals is associated with high rates of suicide, psychiatric disorder, and substance abuse. The experiences of victimization and violence on the impaired persons harm the individual involved (Swain et al., 2014). Besides, personal, social, and family acceptance of the nature of the impaired people affects the personal health of the impaired person.
The impaired companion document adopted in 2010 emphasized the need for research to address factors that encourage health disparity in society. Various groups have taken it upon themselves to carry extensive surveys on impairment and coordinate specialized health care for identified the impaired individuals (Swain et al., 2014). The act of coming out to disclose one’s impairment orientation is beneficial since it ensures the impaired person can be given the appropriate health care they require.
Coming out can be a challenging process, but numerous benefits come with it. At first, one may not realize it, but with time, they understand the importance. No human being deserves to live a life that is not theirs, and thus it is the responsibility of every the impaired person to identify themselves as they are without fear of anybody. The society also has a role in acknowledging and supporting the impaired people without victimizing them.
Reference List
Barnes, C. and Mercer, G. (2010) Exploring disability. A sociological introduction Cambridge: Polity.
Bates, L., 2014. Everyday sexism. London: Simon and Schuster.
Burr, V. (2015) Social constructionism. 3rd edn. London: Routledge
Cameron, C. (Ed.) (2014) Disability studies: A student’s guide. London: Sage.
Dolmage, J. and DeGenaro, W. (2005) “I cannot be like this Frankie”: Disability, social class and gender in million dollar baby. Disability Studies Quarterly, 25(2).
Swain, J. et al. (eds.) (2014) Disabling barriers: enabling Environments. 3rd edn. London: Sage.