Psychological Adaptation to Limb Loss

Limb amputation resulting from an accident or disease process creates a psychological crisis for the patient. To understand the varied responses of patients to their physical rehabilitation and to facilitate their return to normal life, the psychological reality of the patient must be understood and included in the treatment plan. In this chapter, the “psychological reality” will be described as a function of the patient’s character or personality style, his or her developmental life status, and his or her cognitive appraisal of the particular stresses created by the limb loss itself. The goal of this analysis is to understand the meaning of the loss to the individual, thus catalyzing the emergence of normal coping responses in the face of this crisis event.