Although the physical aspects of having a spinal cord injury are difficult, the social and mental health side effects can be just as hard. One of the most difficult social issues many people with paralysis experience is the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies people with spinal cord injuries. After many people are injured, they realize how difficult it is to make new friends or retain the ones they had before their injury.
The loneliness that people experience however is not simply tied to struggling friendships. There are many areas of life, and activities, where it can be easy to feel left out with a SCI. There is a lot you can do, however, to improve a struggling social life after a spinal cord injury. See our ideas below.
Join a Gaming Group
Gaming is a very broad term that can refer to anything from BINGO to in-person tabletop games. Even card games like Poker can be a great way to meet people by meeting up with said group on a regular basis. By doing so, you can make friends in a natural manner. Playing video games online is a popular gaming outlet as well for those with higher-level injuries. There are adaptive online gaming groups for example just for quadriplegics. Discovering new hobbies after a spinal cord injury that put you around people that are also interested in said hobby is an almost-guaranteed method to make friends after a SCI.
Join an Adaptive Sport
No matter your injury there’s an adaptive sport or recreational activity you can take part in. Even those who have limited arm movement can join an adaptive bowling league thanks to the Sip 'n Puff equipment that's available. And hand-cycling is an adaptive sport that many people report making friends through. For example, regular meetups with a hand-cycling group can easily garner new friends. The same goes for wheelchair rugby, sled hockey, and wheelchair basketball; super popular team adaptive sports with a social side that people love.
Join an Online Support Group
If it is difficult to leave your home on your own or if you live in a rural area, we recommend joining an online virtual spinal cord injury support group that meets over Zoom or the like. While it is not in-person, it really does help to interact consistently with people who are in the same boat as you to help you feel less isolated. And it doesn't matter where in the world you’re located, most online spinal cord injury support groups will let you join as long as you have a spinal cord injury.
Find What Drives You
A great way to meet people after a spinal cord injury is to find your purpose in life and allow that to drive you forward, making friends along the way. If you're passionate about working out, go to the gym and you'll make friends there. If you're passionate about reading, go to the library on a regular basis or a bookstore and you will likely make friends. The key is going to a public place on a consistent basis to find like-minded people.
Go to Local Events
Whether it's a band from your city or a local theater company putting on a new production, a great way to make new friends is to go to these events and support artists in your community on a regular basis. By being a regular and supporting the artists in your town, you will be appreciated and recognized, and also most likely be approached by others going to these events, helping you make friends.
Join a Club
Whether it's your local Lion's Club, your city’s Chamber of Commerce, or another civic or social club nearby you may be interested in, look into joining. Becoming a member of a club can be a great way to make new friends in your area who are like-minded and care about the same things that you do. Most clubs offer regular meet-ups as well, making it easy to stave off loneliness.
Learn to Be Comfortable Being Alone
Although humans are social creatures and need human interaction on a regular basis, many people have discovered the beauty of being their best companion and not needing anyone else for their social interactions. This does not mean you do not have any friends, but it does mean that you are very much ok being alone for several hours at a time, which shows impressive mental strength.
