Like many types of disabilities, mental disability can be something that conquers and defeats you. But it can be something that becomes your ally and a source of strength as you challenge it and it tests you. How inspired we all were by the person in a wheelchair who did the "Iron Man Triathlon" of the Special Olympics!
But I've also seen a mentally disabled person complain about how her medications were making her put on weight. While complaining, she was eating TWO double quarter pounder cheeseburgers (more than my points quota on Weight Watchers for an entire DAY). So part of it is making a willful choice between being a victim and a victor, a loser or a winner.
Where does one get the "inner strength" to be a winner? In my view, inner strenth, is a misnomer. Power comes from outside of one's self. My friends, my wife, my inspirational reading, my "Higher Power" are all a source of strength. For those of us with a disability, a support group, a Psychiatrist, a Therapist, are all part of a team we've gathered to give us strength to overcome the obstacles. As we overcome obstacles, we become stronger, more vibrant, more focused, and more alive. So what's the answer? Any disability is both a friend and a foe. It depends on what you do with it, and the attitude you bring to it. Even when it SEEMS like a foe, it's actually a FRIEND, because growth can happen when we are being Challenged.
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