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
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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