Therapist for Acoustic Neuroma Support in Los Angeles

Many people, as a result of acoustic neuroma surgery, are living with facial paralysis. If you were recently treated, and this is new to you, you may understandably feel "shy" about being seen around people you don't know well.

For many, this paralysis will be short lived and resolve on its own. For many others, various nerve grafts and other surgeries, or facial retraining exercises, may offer some improvement. For others, these methods have been a case of "diminishing returns." So, don't feel you are the only one.

The point of this article is how to enjoy the holidays in spite of your facial situation. If you have had it for a long time, you have hopefully adapted to it, so it is no longer the be all and end all. If you are newer to this situation, you may still be in shock over it. You may think that strangers and casual acquaintences may "recoil" in horror when they see you coming.

Let's try on some other perspectives, which might help you get out and enjoy yourself more:

•  Many of the people you meet may be wrapped up in their own "social anxieties" and having their own stresses about "how they are presenting."
• Most people will see the "whole person" of who you are, not just your face.
• Most people will be polite, and not put you on the spot by asking you what happened.
• If people do ask, it is usually because they know someone who had something similar happen, and so they are reaching out to connect with you.
• Some people will ask, because they are interested in learning more about the people they meet, rather than talk about themselves.
• You have choices about how to respond. You can use it as an opportunity to educate others, or you may just practice a one line answer that gets the topic off you and back onto other "more interesting" things.
• You can spend the time getting to know others by asking them about their lives.
• You can ask the host if you can help with anything, so you feel more like part of the group. This works well for many people who are naturally shy.
• Anticipate that you will have a nice time, meeting new people and having a nice break from your ongoing acoustic neuroma recovery issues.

I hope these tips are helpful to you, and I wish you a peaceful holiday season.

Kate Boswell MFT is a Los Angeles based psychotherapist, helping people through anxiety, depression and relationship issues related to their health concerns. From Marina del Rey, she serves the communities of Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Del Rey, Culver City, Venice, Santa Monica, Westchester, Inglewood, and the South Bay Cities. Kate is a licensed marriage and family therapist, lic. no. MFC20851. She can be reached at (310) 658-3158 and kate@2bstressfree.com .