Abstract:
Subjects with acquired paraplegia face different limitations in a body that, until then, was expressed intact in its functions, demonstrating the helplessness and the rupture that the new condition reverberates. Therefore, we sought to understand how subjects with acquired paraplegia reconstruct their body image, as well as to understand the meanings they attribute to this experience. This is a descriptive and exploratory qualitative study with eight people who acquired paraplegia in the adult phase, based on semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Interviewees are confronted with the unknown, passing through conflicts related to the experience with the previous and the current body. In this way, feelings of revolt and anguish in the face of the new condition include the difficult process of mourning in paraplegia and its psychic implications. Facing this, in many cases, the reintegration of the new image can build senses and new identity to the subject; however, in some cases, this process is difficult. Thus, the experience of paraplegia is singular and complex, felt as a shock to the identity, being important, as a helper for the reconstruction of the body image, the support of healthcare professionals in building strategies to deal with the shocks and anguish associated with facing this new condition.
Keywords:
Body image; Mourning; Paraplegia; Reconstruction