Volume 19 · Issue 2 · March/April 2009 –
by Élan Young –
Men and women, young and old, all suffer the effects of amputation, including its physical and emotional scars. Adapting successfully to life with limb loss depends not just on one’s inner resolve or outward physical strength – sometimes it’s a matter of environment. Men may also suffer socially because of limb loss, but women are more often judged on appearance and are more likely than men to be identified socially with their bodies. However, concerns about unattainable expectations might be even more painful in light of the permanent and noticeable fact of a missing limb. Messages from society are often internalized, and have an impact on how people see themselves. The further women feel from society’s inflexible standard of beauty, the more likely their self-image will suffer. Growing up as a female with limb loss provides a unique perspective on how to adapt successfully through the many challenges of youth. The three women interviewed here may help other girls and women see how a positive self-image is worth so much more than the pursuit of an idealized image of perfection.