Different Bodies, Different Selves: The Role of Physical Disability in the Formation of Personal Identity

The variables that contribute to the acquisition of personal identity are many, and the interactions that occur before someone realizes I am ... are complex, to say the least. The process of \u27 identification\u27 that is, the aforementioned acquisition of the self is not a static process that is the same for each person. Although some similar patterns of existence may occur, it is ultimately a unique occurrence. I propose that in the \u27construction of the self that there are three broad facets of existence that should be addressed in answering questions concerning personal identity the physiological, the psychological, and the social. Each of these factors contributes to the process of becoming that is personal identity. This is in line with modem psychological models. The present work seeks to bring to light some of these facets of personal identity in general. More than this however, an attempt will be made to examine some of the ways in which physical disability can affect one\u27s sense of personal narrative that is woven into Who I am and whom I wish to be. In the course of this work several topics will surface. First an emphasis will be placed on the physical expressions and \u27 limitations\u27 of the body as an extension into space. The concept of the body schema will be explained here to illustrate the ways in which the body is integrated into the self. Next, the psychological effects of physical disability will be addressed with a focus toward the reconstruction of mental representations of the \u27normal\u27 body and the resultant effects of this reconstruction. Here, the body image of the disabled individual will be discussed using data fro