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pearleaf said:
As I said to Perna, I would like to cope with a new condition in my life, a neuromuscular disease, learning to accept new limits and learning to integrate them in my self image.

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What a neat goal, pearleaf. I struggle so hard against limits myself, it takes a goodly passage of time before I accept what I don't seem able to change. I'm curious about what you mean when you say you want to learn to integrate your accepted limits into your self image? What would that look like?

I currently have a nerve problem in my neck that is affecting my right arm and has been for the last month and a half. I'm "required" to sit and not do much a lot of the day or it aggrevates/hurts too much and at night it gets so painful it wakes me and I don't get good sleep. I'm resigned to those things; have "moved" my laptop computer to my lap to work on so I'm better supported/in less pain than I am with table/chair where I normally work. But I don't see these things having anything to do with my self image? Even "limited" that is my actions, not "me"? I can adapt my surroundings to work better for me but self image makes me think I give in to the surroundings (allow as how I can't defeat gravity so I don't jump off the roof thinking I can fly :-) and I have trouble with that for "my" body limitations? I still think I'm "in charge".

I guess in any group there are going to be those accepting of their "weaknesses" and who ask for/accept help and others who don't see things as weaknesses but some other way. I think of women who get "angry" when a man opens a door for them and/or have to then open the door for the man to "prove" they're equal or something. Usually the other person doesn't have a clue what they've "done" to get such a reaction. Radio Flyer's example of the dumb blonde jokes during group and each person's reaction to the other is another example.