How has dyslexia affected your life?

People who are diagnosed with dyslexia as adults, rather than in their younger years will often report having suffered many years of failure and criticism in school. They may have been accused of being lazy, not paying attention or have been made to feel they were stupid. As a consequence they may have had a poor attendance record through truanting or school refusal. For those who did attend regularly they are likely to have achieved lower academic results than other pupils without this additional challenge. Discovering as an adult that they are dyslexic (after years of being treated as if they were thick or lazy) helps only insofar as it explains their difficulty; psychologically the damage to self-esteem has been done.

Low self-esteem and a general lack of confidence are often the effects of undiagnosed dyslexia, as are depression and anxiety. It is impossible to attribute with any accuracy the specific origins of these various negative states as there will usually have be an accumulation of different triggers which may include teasing, bullying, ridicule, isolation and abuse. The disappointment of teachers or parents can compound the problem. In addition the dyslexic individual may doubt their ability to achieve any kind of qualification or promotion to a position of high status in the workplace.

This year the focus of Dyslexia Awareness Week which runs from the 7th to the 13th October is on schools and businesses empowering people with dyslexia. For young people who are diagnosed with dyslexia early, there is a lot of support within schools and the education system in general. Different methods of teaching and additional resources can be accessed in most colleges and centres of learning. In my own hypnotherapy training school we can assist students who are dyslexic in a variety of ways including giving them longer to submit their homework and supplying coursework early or in different formats. We also don’t penalise spelling errors as long as students are able to convey their meaning.

For those diagnosed late, as with those who have experienced criticism or abuse in their childhood or teenage years, low self-esteem can be a problem that can continue into adult life. They might not pursue career ambitions or take risks for fear of failure. Lack of assertiveness can also be a problem. Hypnotherapy can be very useful for helping to change negative self-beliefs and issues of low confidence. Working with clients to improve their self-worth and ability to assert themselves is very rewarding and I love to hear from clients who have made powerful changes such as applying for promotion, asking for a raise or standing up for themselves in difficult situations.

If you’d like to know more about how I can support you in overcoming negative self-beliefs book here to have a chat on the phone at a time that suits you.