Coping with a Disability
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Transcript Coping with a Disability
Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities and their Families
Coping with a Disability
Your State AgrAbility Project Peer Support Training
Date
Goals and Objectives
• Increase understanding of the impact of a
disability
• Recognize the stages of loss cycle
• Learn about coping methods
Disabilities may be
• Congenital
Present at birth
• Acquired
Acquired at anytime during a lifetime
Traumatic or chronic injuries or illnesses
Congenital Disabilities
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Muscular Dystrophy
Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Acquired Disabilities
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Back injury
Spinal cord injury
Traumatic brain injury
Amputation
Stroke
Diabetes
Cancer
Arthritis
Mental illness
Research Findings
• People with congenital disabilities tend to adjust
better.
• People with acquired disabilities are more likely to
experience severe psychological trauma from
personal loss and life changes.
Research Findings
• It is more difficult to adjust to an acquired
disability than a congenital one.
• Family and friends may have difficulty adjusting
to an acquired disability which makes the
adjustment for the person with the disability
more difficult.
Emotional Responses to
Disability
Stress
• Stress is a reaction to something considered
a challenge or a threat
• Stress can have a positive or negative effect
• Occasional stress is a natural part of life
• Stress that gets out of control or is prolonged
can affect health
Some Symptoms of Stress
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Headaches
Depression
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping
Low self-esteem
Excessive drinking or smoking
Overeating or loss of appetite
Fatigue
Upset stomach
Aggressive driving
Anger
• Anger is a feeling …. It’s OK
• What a person does with anger (behavior) could
become an issue
Depression
• 1 in 5 Americans could be suffering from
depression
• It is common for a person to feel sad, down, or
blue from time to time, but if this condition
persists or is recurrent it is possible that the
person is suffering from depression
• Depression can be a serious, life-threatening
condition
Symptoms of Major Depression
• Persistent sad or irritable mood
• Pronounced changes in sleep, appetite, and/or
energy
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or
remembering
• Physical slowing or increased agitation
• Lack of interest in or pleasure from activities that
were once enjoyed
Symptoms of Major Depression
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness,
or emptiness
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not
respond to treatment, such as headaches,
digestive disorders, and chronic pain
Depression may co-occur with
certain medical conditions
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Stroke
Cancer
Heart attack
Parkinson’s disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hormonal disorders
Men and Depression
• Men are less likely to admit to depression
• Depression is often masked by alcohol or drugs,
working long hours, or by anger, irritability, or
being discouraged
• The suicide rate in men is four times that of
women, though more women try it
Stressful events that may trigger
suicidal thinking
• Untreated depression
• Major life changes; family death, divorce,
disability, bankruptcy
• Prolonged or terminal illness
• Use or abuse of drugs or alcohol
Stages of the Loss Cycle
Normal Functioning
Return to Meaningful Life
Shock and Denial
Acceptance
Anger/Blaming
Dialogue
Depression and Detachment
Research Findings
• The adjustment process has been described
as:
“Learning to accept the reality of a condition
and then finding suitable ways to live with that
condition.”
Taking Time to Adjust
• People need time to adjust
• They need to feel sadness, anger, blame,
depression, etc.
• People need others with whom they can talk
and tell their story in order to heal
• At some point people need to reassess and
reaffirm themselves
Taking Time to Adjust
• People need to find new coping strategies
and mobilize themselves
• They need to have the opportunity for open
dialogue about new situations
• It may take a couple of years to heal from
emotional wounds
Discussion
• What emotions did you experience in the first
days and weeks after your disability condition?
• How did you come to self-acceptance and
renewed self-esteem?
Research Findings
• Individuals move through each phase at different
paces
• Some may stop at a particular phase for a long
time or even remain there the rest of their lives
• Family members often experience a similar
adjustment process
Discussion
• How much do you think it would have helped
you to have worked through your transition with
a good friend who provided peer support?
How Individuals Cope
with Disability
Coping Successfully with Disability
• Take care of self and health
• Take care of others
• Continue working and recreating
• Maintain friendships and accept social supports
from others
• Confine sense of loss more narrowly to the loss
itself
Coping Successfully with Disability
• Realize that there is meaning to life, and
that all is not lost by the disability
• Focus on present, specific, and
manageable challenges
• Don’t let illness take center stage in your
life or relationships
• Maintain a sense of “I can do this; I can
manage”
How Families Cope
Family Coping Skills
• Disability is a family affair
• Revisit family roles
• Adapt leisure activities
• Adjust to financial hardships
• Deal openly with emotional needs
• Spot signs of high stress, anger, and depression
Family Coping Skills
• Encourage spirituality
• Seek out peer support
• Focus on family strengths
• Learn about the disability or condition
• Develop stress management skills
Family Coping Skills
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Wives and mothers talked with a friend
Were involved in work
Prayed or meditated
Participated in a support group or engaged in
recreation to cope
• Developed a healthy outlook
• Took time for one’s self
• Went on family outings
Effective Peer Support
• Should:
Provide a safe place for another to tell his/her story
Encourage them to find strength within themselves
Empower them to find solutions to problems
Let them know they are respected, appreciated, and
recognized for who they are
Acknowledge that their feelings are normal and
temporary
Bottom Line
• When someone has acquired a disability,
there is a period of adjustment
• They will experience a range of emotions
from depression to anger
• Helping them cope will have positive effects
• Active listening is what peer support is about
Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities and their Families