Tag Archives: psychological disability

Amputation: A Conversation About Improving Your Body Image and Sexual Well-Being

Posted on by
Reply

129Amputated limbs often cause feelings of revulsion in the patient, doctors, family members, and society.  This is a common and normal reaction to seeing the residual limb (there are people who have a sexual orientation towards amputation).  When someone has suffered from limb loss it does not change the deepest, strongest most valuable part of a person.   A concern about sexuality arises from a fear that the residual limb will not be accepted by a partner.  Some people have difficulty seeing themselves as adequate sexually and have concerns about keeping or finding someone to love them.  It is important to understand that you are still a whole person who just happens to have a missing body part.  It will help to talk to your partner, family, or friends about how your changed body looks, feels, and works.

Body image affects how we feel, think and react to our self-perceived physical appearance and how we respond to life determines the quality of our relationships.  Our physical attributes, our successes and mistakes, along with our inner sense of adequacy and value form self-image.  A negative or positive belief about how important we are affects our emotional well-being.

Consequences of amputation can include feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, fatigue, and even suicidal ideation.  Rates of clinical depression range from 21% to 35% with individuals experiencing significant levels of anxiety, grief, and social isolation. Sometimes individual, couple, or family therapies may be needed.

People who recover psychologically from body image change accept the amputation.  They often express a desire to live and make the loss into something good.  He or she derives meaning from the amputation and often have a perspective that things could be worse.  Recovering people do not define themselves by their amputation.

People who do not recover psychologically feel depressed and bad about their appearance, have a negative outlook on life and describe themselves as feeling abnormal.  He or she is often disconnected from friends, family, and could remain isolated.  These individuals often experience delayed social and economic adjustment.

Social interactions after an amputation are an understandable challenge for people with limb loss; especially for someone who is shy.   People will look at us because we are different.  Factors that promote positive body image adjustment and well-being are finding positive meaning in our disabling experience.  Amputation does not always cause negative outcomes.  Coping with body image change provides an opportunity to thrive or change in beneficial ways.  Shifting our priorities and view of self changes our interactions with others.

I lost my forearm over a decade ago; it was crushed in an automobile accident.  I came to in the intensive care unit and looked at my arm in horror and said to the doctors, “Oh my god, you cut my arm off.”  The emotional pain from my changed body image was so intense; that I believe my ego was shattered.  I locked eyes with my husband and knew that this was a big life test.  My views about life commenced to change profoundly.  My compulsive drive for perfectionism was crushed along with my forearm.  As a result, I have had an extraordinary life as a woman with limb loss.

Tips For Improving Body Image:

● Smile at people when they look at you.

● Don’t limit yourself with the label of “disabled.” The focus is no longer on what is gone.

● Remember how far you have come.

● Confront your thoughts related to your body

● Talk to your partner about how your changed body looks, feels, and works.

● Focus on learning new ways to do things you enjoyed before the amputation. Be extra clever or creative.

● Have positive experiences with your body.

● Be optimistic by believing that something good has arisen from your amputation.

● Learn to accept and love yourself.

● Learn to develop a healthier more accurate view of yourself.

● Join organizations that support people with limb loss.

● Read articles on body image after amputation.

● Remind yourself often that you are so much more than your appearance.

********************************************************************

FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMB LOSS, PLEASE CLICK ON  THIS LINK FOR RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FROM THE AMPUTEE COALITION http://www.amputee-coalition.org/

**********************************************************************

Thank you for reading this article.  My learning journey with body image challenges is a result of my experience with limb loss.  Before my limb loss, I sacrificed my emotional and spiritual well-being for perfectionism and looked to others for approval at the cost of trusting my intuition and developing my self-worth.  As a result I have learned a lot about what it takes to put an end to self-created emotional pain.  And, as I learn and grow, I teach self-compassion and give advice I use myself, in the hopes that it helps you to improve your own life.

Roberta

About these ads

Chronic Pain, Self-talk, and Distraction

Posted on by
5

841479_17427852One important part of a chronic pain control plan is changing your self-talk. Self-talk is the dialogue you have inside your head in response to a situation or pain episode. For example, you are having a pain episode, your self-talk might go something like this: “This is hopeless, there is nothing I can do, I’m completely overwhelmed and it’s impossible to stop this pain.” One way to change your pain experience is learning how thoughts and actions influence your feeling and coping. By paying attention to negative self-talk and changing your thoughts you can learn to reduce and better manage pain (including emotional pain). Negative self-talk can affect the severity, duration, and intensity of your pain experience and your ability to cope with it too. In particular, catastrophizing (thinking that make things seem worse than they really are) about pain is likely to make you feel more helpless to cope and to suffer more. If you learn to recognize the thoughts that crank up your pain and distress, you can replace those thoughts with calming, soothing thinking that brings your pain level back down. You could think, “This is something I can manage, even though it is difficult.” By doing this you are more likely to feel competent to cope and to feel better about yourself and distract from your pain.

In addition to changing your self-talk, you can also learn skills to focus your attention in certain areas and distract yourself from others. A helpful skill for reducing pain or emotional distress is distraction. You may believe that there is nothing that can be done to stop your pain. You may feel that you need to be dependent on drugs in order to cope. You may believe that you need to get rid of pain in order to live life at all. People with frequent or chronic pain often pay a lot of attention to bodily sensations. This means that they are very aware of pain and often suffer more as a result. The good news is that we have some control of our attention and can choose to focus on something else. Although some pain experiences or sensations are so strong that it’s very hard not to pay attention, most of the time we have some control over where and how much we focus our attention. Have you ever noticed that you’re not as bothered by pain if you’re involved in doing something interesting? This is because you’re just not as aware of pain (or distressful emotions) if you’re distracted by something and not paying attention to your body. Attention is the first step to perception. This is not ignoring pain, it is paying attention to something else. If you notice your pain when you’re doing a task, you don’t need to get upset, just return your attention to the activity of the moment.

Tips for Distraction and Changing Your Attention

●Monitor your self-talk, reduce thoughts that make you feel bad and increase thoughts that contribute to feelings of confidence.

●Do things that you enjoy and help take your mind off pain or feeling distressed.

●Treat your senses. Light a scented candle, buy fresh cut flowers,  indulge in a massage, or take a hot bath.

●Find positive meaning from your pain or disabling experience.

●Schedule events with close friends or family.

●Contribute to a cause or do something nice for someone else.

●Make a gratitude list of things that are good in your life. Read it when you feel pain. Read it everyday.

●Distract your thinking. Read a book, watch TV, or do a puzzle.

●Generate different physical sensations. Sit outside in the sunshine, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, pet a dog or cat.

●Look at something beautiful, like a flower or a piece of art. Go to a museum. Look at nature.

●Listen to music that is soothing or uplifting. Pay attention to the sounds around you like birds, the wind in the trees, or ocean waves.

●Have your favorite meal or dessert. Eat an orange slowly, paying attention to the flavor and texture.

Working on changing your self-talk is only one part of a chronic pain control plan. Strategies like distraction with pleasant activities and soothing sensations can be helpful. By figuring out what thoughts work for you and practicing attention diversion when you feel pain will result in feelings of control, less dependence on pain medication, and a better quality of life.

******************************************************************

Thank you for reading this article.  My learning journey with chronic physical pain is a result of my experience with phantom limb pain.  I was graced with the gift of self-acceptance upon realization that my forearm was amputated.  Before my limb loss, I sacrificed my emotional and spiritual well-being for perfectionism and looked to others for approval at the cost of trusting my intuition and developing my self-worth.  My drive for perfection was crushed along with my arm.  I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to put an end to self-created emotional pain.  And, as I learn and grow, I teach self-compassion and give advice I use myself, in the hopes that it helps you to improve your own life.

Body Image, Sexuality, and Coping with Limb Loss

Posted on by
Reply

APRIL IS LIMB LOSS AWARENESS MONTH

The Amputee Coalition received a letter from President Obama recognizing April as Limb Loss Awareness Month. Below is a link to that letter.

http://limblossawareness.org/content/documents/limb-loss-awareness-4-2-12.pdf

Losing a limb is extremely disabling. There are approximately 1.9 million people in the United States with some form of limb loss.  Some amputations are the result of injury or disease; others are born with a limb difference.  Losing all or part of a limb is a life-changing event that can cause grief and decreased self-esteem.  An amputee loses part of his or her physical self when they lose a limb and the change in appearance is final.  Grieving, therefore, is both normal and expected.  Loss of body image can have devastating effects on a person’s identity.  Body image refers to our perceptions, thoughts, feelings and reactions to our looks.  The loss experienced by a person with an amputation is not only the physical loss of a body part but also the loss of their former appearance, function, athletic ability, and hobbies.  Changes in an amputee’s physical appearance may initially make it more difficult to engage in personal relationships and may have significant impact on their ability to view themselves sexually.  In addition, amputated limbs often cause feelings of revulsion in the patient, family member, and society.

Children may feel different from their peers; adults may find that their negative self-image affects their sexual relationships.  Research has shown that when faced with an amputation, people who feel self-conscious about their residual limb respond by avoiding social situations.  Unfortunately, this also can trigger depression.  Traumatic combat injuries have unique considerations in regards to the high lethality of modern weaponry, the persistent threat of being in a war zone, the lack of emotional resources/support, and delay in medical attention.   Combat injuries powerfully impact the service members, their children and families.  Difficulty in readjusting to life back home may alter family relationships and support, contributing to a vicious cycle of psychological and social challenges for both the person with limb loss and the family.  Below are video clips of individuals with limb loss demonstrating determination, grace, and courage.

The Amputee Coalition also has several public service announcements running—some on a jumbotron in Times Square, NY. Here are links if you are interested in viewing these great pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWv_m-1AGc4&list=UURL1kJhUwALQy606TnKFlLw&index=1&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79MlNWF511o&list=UURL1kJhUwALQy606TnKFlLw&index=2&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqP-S1JsLZk&list=UURL1kJhUwALQy606TnKFlLw&index=3&feature=plcp

Stress, Chronic Pain, and Breaking the Habit of Thinking Negatively

Posted on by
2

250px-Dramaten_mask_2008aInevitably there are times of stress in our lives.  Stress, negative thinking, emotions, and pain are interconnected.  Stress makes us feel anxious, short-tempered, and overwhelmed. When the stress is internal we feel out of balance.  When stress is external and internal we experience our most difficult times with physical pain, we tend to tense our muscles, even if we aren’t aware of it, which can lead to more pain.  When we are feeling relaxed or happy, we tend to have less muscle tension, which can lead to less pain.  And when we are pain-free, it’s easier to feel relaxed and engaged in life.  We feel emotionally better and are better able to be there for ourselves and those we love.

Your thoughts and behaviors are related to your feelings and can result in more positive or more negative moods.  For example, if you spend time with friends during stressful periods, you tend to feel more balanced and peaceful in spite of your physical pain or life circumstances.  Spend a whole day sitting by yourself at home and thinking about how hopeless and helpless you feel, you are much more likely to feel down or grumpy than if you are able to be active and distract your thinking.  At the same time, it is normal and understandable that pain will sometimes make you feel stressed, unhappy, depressed, anxious, frustrated, or angry.  The goal is not necessarily to avoid your feelings and thoughts, but to learn how to manage them, along with your pain.  You have choices about how to stop the thoughts, emotions, and actions that lead to greater levels of emotional and physical pain. You may have experimented with compulsive or addictive behaviors to avoid or temporarily stop your pain.  These temporary pain relievers do not solve the problem; they postponed it.

At the same time, physical pain can be your body’s way of letting you know when something is wrong, so it’s important to be able to tell the difference between injury and pain that doesn’t indicate damage.  In addition, painful emotions can be our awakening to stop the thinking or behaviors we are doing that cause pain.  For example, a backache could be caused by an injury, but it could also be caused by our thoughts and feelings leading to unnecessary stress or tension.  Think of the saying, “ Ninety five percent of what I have worried about in my life has never happened.”  Similarly, you might have back pain because of a damaged disc, or it could be an achy muscle from exercise.  You know your body best, so it is important that you learn the differences between types of pain so that you can make good decisions about when you should try to distract yourself or change your thinking and when you need rest or medical care.

Self-care may not come easily during times of pain.  Ask yourself, “What do I need to do to take care of myself, what do I need emotionally?”  One way to benefit by taking care of yourself is to do at least one or two activities a day that you enjoy or that make you feel good.  These activities can be almost anything, from reading or watching TV to spending time with friends and family to taking a class or volunteering for a cause that makes you feel good about yourself.  One activity that is known to reliably improve feelings and lower stress levels is exercise.  Exercise activates endorphins in the brain, which are a natural painkiller and are 20 times stronger than any man-made pain medication. People who exercise regularly feel better, sleep better, and generally are happier.  In addition, exercise improves muscle tone and strength, which contributes to reduced pain.

Tips for Improving Your Well-being

  • Monitor your thinking, notice thoughts that make you feel bad, and make  choices about how to counter or change those thoughts.
  • Meditate everyday.  Sit quietly for 10 minutes; think about how you can be a better person.
  • Find positive meaning from your stress or disabling experience.
  • Reduce thoughts that contribute to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and increase thoughts that contribute to feelings of competence.
  • Be an optimist, look for the lesson in your pain, and seek something good from your adversity.
  • Deal with your emotions.  Acknowledge stress, anger, hurt, and anxiety.
  • Take a walk every day.
  • Have regular scheduled events with close friends or family.
  • Find time to be alone with your partner.
  • Make time for laziness.
  • Be healthy inside.  Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and good carbohydrates (e.g. whole wheat bread or pasta).  Avoid junk food.
  • Treat your senses.  Light a scented candle, buy fresh-cut flowers, and indulge in a massage, or take a hot bath.
  • Sleep.  Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends
  • Be creative.  Spend time learning new things.  Work in your garden, paint, or build something.
  • Do something for someone else.  Volunteer or do something nice for a loved one.
  • Do something to make you feel the opposite of how you  feel now.  If you’re feeling frustrated and helpless, take a walk or watch a funny movie.  If you’re feeling sad read positive affirmations.
  • Put a mental wall up between yourself and the pain, thoughts, or the emotional distress.  Detach and deny your pain, box it up and put it on a shelf.

***************************************************************************

Thank you for reading this article.  My learning journey with chronic physical pain is a result of my experience with phantom limb pain.  I was graced with the gift of self-acceptance upon realization that my forearm was amputated.  Before my limb loss, I sacrificed my emotional and spiritual well-being for perfectionism and looked to others for approval at the cost of trusting my intuition and developing my self-worth.  My drive for perfection was crushed along with my arm.  I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to put an end to self-created emotional pain.  And, as I learn and grow, I teach self-compassion and give advice I use myself, in the hopes that it helps you to improve your own life.

The Psychological, Social, and Physical Consequences of Amputation

Posted on by
Reply
John McFall-Manchester Courtesy of Wikipedia

John McFall-Manchester Courtesy of Wikipedia

Amputation of an arm or leg has multiple consequences. Common emotional and cognitive changes include grieving, depression, anxiety, and poor body image.  The experience of pain is also common following amputation; some pain is in the stump.  Other pain has neuropathic origins, such as phantom limb pain (PLP), the pain that is experienced “in” the missing limb.  In addition to the pain symptoms themselves, PLP can increase feelings of distress and decrease one’s quality of life.

A person with limb loss loses part of his or her physical self when they experience an amputation and the change in function and appearance are final. Physically, there is limb loss, stump pain, phantom pain and sensation.  Emotionally there is grieving, depression, anxiety, and poor body image. These challenges are common consequences of limb loss.  These symptoms can be worsened by the presence of phantom limb pain.

Emotional trauma following limb loss is influenced by a person’s age, type of limb loss, and the cause of amputation.  Limb loss is more likely to result in ”denial” for people who do not expect it than for people who lose a limb due to a long-term disease (e.g., diabetes).  Denial involves a failure to acknowledge the loss, or refusal to accept and adjust to the situation.  These responses can increase negative thoughts, negative feelings, physical pain, and seeking needed help.

Grief is a particularly prevalent reaction to limb loss.  It is a normal and expected reaction to the limb loss and change in a person’s identity.  The grief response includes emotional, behavioral and physical reactions.   Overcoming grief involves the process of acceptance that the limb is gone forever. Unresolved anger can prolong the grief process.  Anger usually occurs when an amputee feels helpless and powerless at the unexpected, undeserved, and unwanted situation in which they find themselves. A person may think, “Why did this happen to me?”

When amputations occur, body image change is likely to effect self-identity and self-esteem.  Loss of a limb by amputation can lead to long-term problems with an individual’s self-image.  These changes can include a higher degree of anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem and less satisfaction with life from negative thoughts about one’s appearance and self-worth.  In addition, amputated limbs often cause feelings of revulsion in the patient, family members, and society. This is a common and normal reaction to seeing the residual limb. When someone has suffered from limb loss the challenge is to recognize that it does not change the deepest, strongest most valuable part of a person.

Individuals with limb loss may find that their negative self-image affects their sexual and other social relationships.  When faced with an amputation, people who feel self-conscious about their residual limb respond by avoiding social situation.  Social avoidance/isolation also can trigger depression.  Individuals who lost limbs as a result of trauma and those with upper limb amputations appear to be most vulnerable to emotional disturbance.

The support and encouragement of medical staff, friends and family can have a very powerful effect on the ability to heal from the consequences of limb loss and finalize the stages of grieving. In spite of the challenges with amputation, many people with limb loss do adapt to lead normal, productive, happy lives, working, enjoying hobbies, and raising families.

For further resources on limb loss please check out  the link below for the Amputee Coalition.

http://www.amputee-coalition.org/limb-loss-resource-center/

**********************************************************************

Thank you for reading this article. I’m dedicating my personal and professional life to supporting people with limb loss.  My learning journey with the challenges of amputation is a result of my personal experience with limb loss.  I was graced with the gift of self-acceptance upon realization that my forearm was amputated.  As a result, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to put an end to self-created emotional pain.  And, as I learn and grow, I teach self-compassion and give advice I use myself, in the hopes that it helps you to improve your own life.