Coping with a DisabilityCoping with a Disability

Your State AgrAbility Project Peer Support TrainingDate

Promoting Success in Agriculture for People with Disabilities and their Families

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

• Muscular Dystrophy• Down Syndrome• Cerebral Palsy• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Acquired Disabilities• 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

• 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

• 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 CycleNormal Functioning

Shock and Denial

Anger/Blaming

Depression and Detachment

Dialogue

Acceptance

Return to Meaningful Life

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

• 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?

Discussion

• 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

Research Findings

• How much do you think it would have helped you to have worked through your transition with a good friend who provided peer support?

Discussion

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

• 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