Soms gee ek voor om normaal te wees...

Wat is jou naam, van en ouderdom?

Elmarie Potgieter, ek is 20 jaar oud.

Vertel my bietjie meer oor jouself, waarvan jy hou, jou stokperdjies ens.

Ek is iemand wat hou van eerlikheid en om reguit met mense te wees,al is dit soms nie wat ander wil hoor nie.Ek hou baie van alle sport soorte en beoefen Atleiek en Cage Fighting.

Watter tipe gestremdheid het jy?

PDD-Personality Diflict Disoder en swak konsentrasie.

Op watter ouderdom het jy hierdie gestremdheid gekry en hoe?

6 jaar oud, deur n motor ongeluk, waar n kar n stop straat oorgeslaan het en in ons vas gejaag het.

Hoe behandel jou vriende en familie jou en aanvaar hulle jou soos jy is?

Ek word anders as almal hanteer, my familie en vriende is hard op my waar hul nie so is met ander nie.

Hoe behandel mense jou wat nie bewus is van jou gestremdheid nie?

Hulle sệ vir my, ek is “stupid”en spot my voor ander mense, hulle lag vir my en dink ek is n “freak” en van hul sệ hulle wil nie saam my gesien word nie .

Watter hulpmiddels gebruik jy om normaal te funksioneer?

Ek was op verskillende medikasie gewees wat vir n rukkie gehelp het dan daarna was als dieselfde as altyd. Ek het vir n ruk ander medikasie gebruik wat my soos n “zombie” gemaak het en nou neem ek  geen medikasie.

Dink jy daar is n verskil tussen Neurologiese- gestremdhede en Fisiese-gestremdhde?As jy ja geantwoord het,wat is volgens jou die verskil?

 Ja. Neurologiese gestremdhede is in die brein en is nie sigbaar nie, maar dit is daar en fisiese gestremdhede is wat jy fisiies kan sien. Mense wat fisies gestremd is kry gewoonlik simpatie.

Hoe sal jy jou gestremdheid aan ander mense verduidelik?

Ek sal vir mense sệ dat ek baie verskillende persoonlikhede het, dat ek een oomblik baie vriendlik is en die volgende oomblik jou kop wil afbyt of baie lelik is met jou en later is jy weer die beste. Dis moeilik vir my want mense verstaan my nie as ek so raak nie en dis regtig glad nie lekker nie en dat ek goed baie maklik vergeet is ook erg.

 Hoe voel jy oor jou gestremdheid?

Ek voel dat die feit dat ek my gestremdheid het, is dit vir my baie moeilik, want as mense weet jy het die  gestremdheid, wil mense nie regtig deel van ‘n mens  se lewe wees nie. Ek wens baie dat ek normaal was en normaal funksioneer het sodat meer mense my wil aanvaar!

Watter woord beskryf jou gevoel die beste ten opsigte van jou gestremdheid? (kwaad, hartseer, aanvaarding, uitdaging, ens)

Kwaad en hartseer, want ek het nie die lewe gekies nie, dit het net gebeur.

Wat het jy oor jouself  geleer wat jy andersins nooit sou leer as jy nie gestremd was nie?

Dat ek spesiaal op my eie manier is en niemand kan my oordeel nie.

Het jy hoop om genees te word van jou gestremdheid/siekte?

Nee, want ek gaan aan sonder om daar aan te dink, dit is wie ek is.

Glo jy dat daar dalk ‘n groter doel is met jou gestremdheid as net bloot die feit dat jy nou nie meer “normal” kan funksioneer nie?

Ja, om vir mense rondom my te wys daar niks fout is met mense soos ek nie en dat ek ook mens is!

As jy “ja” geantwoord het op die bogenoemde vraag, wat is volgens jou die doel daarvan…….?

Dat dit nie saak maak watter siekte of gestremdheid jy het nie, dat jy ook eintlik normaal is.

Glo jy dat jou lewe as gestremde dalk vir ander (gestremd of nie-gestremd) ‘n inspirasie kan wees?

Ja, want mense sien hoe ek is en kan sien dit is nie maklik om so te wees nie en hulle begin dinge verstaan en aanvaar ons soos wat ons is.

What is your name and age?

Elmarie Potgieter, I’m 20 years old.

Tell me a little about yourself, what do you like most and what your hobbies are.

I am someone who likes honesty and being straight with people, although at times it is not what others want to hear. I really enjoy all kinds of sports and exercise, Athletics and Cage Fighting.

What type of disability do you have?

PDD-Personality Deflect Disorder and poor concentration.

At what age were you diagnosed with this disability and how did you get this disability?

I was 6 years old, it happened with a car accident where a car missed a stop sign and crashed into us.

How does your friends and family treat you and do they accept you as you are?

They treat me different from everyone else, my family and friends are harder on me, they don’t fight as much with other people.

How do people treat you that are not aware of your disability?

They tell me I'm "stupid" and make fun of me in front of other people, they laugh at me and think I'm a "freak" and they say they don’t want to be seen with me.

Which tools do you use to function normally?

I was on many different medication that helped for a while, after that everything was the same as it always was. I have used other medication for a while that made me feel like a "zombie", and now I take no medication.

Do you think there is a difference between Neurological disabilities and Physical disabilities? If you answered yes, what do you think is the difference?

 Yes. Neurological disabilities are in the brain and is not visible, physical disabilities, that you can see physical. People with physical disabilities usually get sympathy.

How would you explain your disability to others?

I'll tell people that I have different personalities, and for one moment I am very Friendly and the next moment I would bite your head off or I will be very mean with you and later you’re like the best friend again. It's difficult for me because people do not understand me when I get like that and it's really very sad.

How do you feel about your disability?

I feel that the fact that I have this disability, it is very difficult for me, because when people know you have a disability, people do not actually want to be part of your life. I sometimes wish that I was normal and functioning normally so that more people would accept me!

 Which word describes your feelings the best in terms of your disability? (Angry, sad, acceptance, challenge, etc.)

Angry and sad, because I did not choose this life, it just happened.

What have you learned about yourself that you otherwise would never have learned if you were a non-disabled?

That I'm special in my own way and no one can judge me.

Do you hope to be cured of your disability / illness?

No, because I'm not thinking about it, this is who I am.

Do you believe there may be a higher purpose to your disability as merely the fact that you cannot function any longer like "normal" people?

Yes, to show people around me that there is nothing wrong with people like me and that we are just human too.

 If you answered "yes" to the above question, what do you think is the purpose.......?

That it does not matter what illness or disability you have and that you are actually normal as well.

Do you believe that your life as disabled may for other (disabled or non-disabled) can be an inspiration?

Yes, because people see me and can see it is not easy to be like this and begin to understand and then they start to accept us.