Trying to fit in.

JoshAdams

Hello, so I have Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and am currently in my 10th year in education. An awful lot of my peers go outside into the big wide world and do various teenage activities like going into the city centre, going to restaurants, going to parties etc. I can't do any of that at the moment and I must admit, I'm struggling to fit in with a lot of friendship groups because I can't see anyone outside of school because I can't participate in the activity that they are interested in. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated, thank you. 

Richard_Scope

Hi @JoshAdams
I hope you are okay? 
What makes you say that you can't take part, what do you think is holding you back? In my experience (I have quad CP) it's sometimes a good idea to think 'to hell with it' and go for it. Yes, it's scary and yes it's challenging and can make you feel uncomfortable but ultimately, you won't know what you are capable of until you try.

WestHam06

Hi @JoshAdams, 
                             How are you? Welcome to the community and thank you for joining us. I am sorry to hear that you feel like you are struggling to fit in at school and build friendships. Firstly, I agree with @Richard_Scope sometimes you just have to put yourself out there a little bit and give things ago, though I know how scary this can be. Please may I ask, why do you feel that you are not able to do the things you mentioned such as going into the city centre? I too have Cerebral Palsy and can totally relate to what you are saying, it is difficult when you see your peers gaining independence and it can feel like you are not but there are small steps that can be taken to gradually build your confidence and independence. What are your interests? Are there any local clubs or school clubs which you may consider looking intro trying out? What subjects do you enjoy at school? It is very difficult being a teenager, it is a time in life when people are starting to discover who they are and what they want to be, and this is the case whether you have a disability or not but having a disability can make aspects of being a teenager harder to navigate. I would say that as people mature and develop they start to gravitate towards people who share similar interests to themselves and this is why I ask what your interests are. I hope this helps and if there is anything else you would like to ask then please just ask. Thank you. 

WestHam06

Hi @JoshAdams, 
                           How are you? How was your Christmas? How are your studies going? Thank you. 

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @JoshAdams, how are things going?