Finding Peace During the Holidays

  
During the holiday season, we are filled with so many emotions. Amid the joy and celebration, there can also be feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and frustration. Often we want to give the perfect gift, serve the perfect food, and have the perfect relationships. However, since we are all human, we will never achieve the perfection that we often crave. How can we have a joyous holiday season but still keep our expectations realistic? Here are some ideas:

Limit excessive spending

Obviously this is easier said than done! It is tempting to buy expensive gifts as a demonstration of love. However, people who truly love us will appreciate a simple, thoughtful gift. I (Andrew) remember spending the holidays a few years ago with Sarah, who is now my wife. Neither of us had much money to spend on presents, and she made a paper chain where I would tear off a link every day during the winter that she would spend in Wyoming and I would spend in Nashville. When the chain was gone, we would be reunited when she moved to Nashville. I appreciated that thoughtful gift more than something extravagant.

Make time for yourself

It is so easy to spend the holidays trying to please our family members, friends, and colleagues. It is important to have a giving spirit during this time of year, but we shouldn’t give at the expense of neglecting our own needs. Perhaps eating your favorite foods or listening to your favorite music could be comforting during this hectic time of year. You could also take a relaxing bath or read an interesting book.

Set realistic goals

Although a healthy sense of ambition is a good thing, sometimes we can take it to an extreme over the holidays. We may want to attend every social function we can with as many people as possible, but this can be destructive to our physical and emotional health. By having enough activities to be enjoyable, but not overwhelming, we can strive for a healthy balance.

Look for opportunities to give

There are many opportunities with agencies such as the Salvation Army and the Angel Tree that help struggling families this time of year. There are also intangible gifts you can give to people who may need a friend. A simple gesture of inviting a friend to your home or to a restaurant could be comforting to a person during the holidays. St. Francis mentions that we should not “seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, but to understand; to be loved, as to love.”

The Access Center has enjoyed serving the NSCC community this semester, and we wish you a relaxing break filled with peace and joy.         

 

 

Giving Thanks

During this season of Thanksgiving, the Access Center is thankful for the benefits of higher education. Specifically, we would like to reflect on students, faculty and staff, and community resources.

The students who come to the Access Center are often some of the most motivated students we have at NSCC.  To help students contribute the most they can to their college experience, we create opportunities through ADA accommodations. We have changed our name this semester from Student Disability Services to Access Center to reflect a positive, welcoming approach. We want to focus on solutions more than problems, and the NSCC community has embraced our change.

We are also thankful for our colleagues here at NSCC. It is a truly caring environment where we care about each other, not only professionally, but also personally. When we see e-mails about illnesses and deaths in the family, we appreciate how much the employees here care about each other and strive to provide emotional support during times of sorrow. We also share our joys with each other during weddings, births of children, graduations, and other happy occasions. When an employee feels that co-workers care, it certainly affects our interactions with students.  

The Access Center is fortunate to have so many wonderful community resources to which we can refer students. Nashville is a thriving, growing, cosmopolitan city with many opportunities. For example, United Way and Family/Children’s Service offer a crisis line at (615) 244-7444 for mental health emergencies.  United Way also offers free resources by just dialing 211 or entering www.211tn.org to reach the online data base for food pantries, clothing, shelter, and other basic needs.  Next semester, the Access Center will present a series with more details about community resources that create access.  

                We are approaching a hectic time of year with holidays and exams.  Hopefully we can all take a quiet moment to be thankful.  A sense of gratitude is beneficial as we reflect on the past, and greet the challenges of the new year.

Responding to Mania

Last week we looked at the symptoms of depression, and this week we will look at the opposite symptom--mania.  Mania is a symptom of bipolar disorder, an illness in which a person experiences both mania and depression.

During a manic episode, a client suffers a break with reality, often referred to as a “nervous breakdown.” Although the term “nervous breakdown” is commonly used, it is a slang term and not a clinical one.  Symptoms of mania may include inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, talkativeness, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, psychomotor agitation, or risky and unwise decisions. (For more details on exactly how a manic episode is diagnosed, you can see the DSM-V book on p. 124).

Obviously, there are many challenges to getting a manic person help.  Family and friends may think the client’s actions are comical, and they unknowingly encourage manic behavior. Even when loved ones do recognize something is wrong, the client is often enjoying the feelings of euphoria and therefore resents someone trying to intervene and say he or she is sick.

It is wise to be aware of emergency psychiatric resources and how to develop a plan of action. Since an individual experiencing severe mania is unable to reason, traditional counseling is ineffective. They need immediate, specialized help. If you ever experience someone having a manic episode, there are several appropriate resources. At NSCC, you can contact Security, Dean for Students, or the Access Center. We can contact a crisis counselor to get a person help.  If you ever experience a family member or a friend having a manic episode, you can take them to a psychiatric hospital such as Parthenon Pavilion, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, or Skyline Madison. You can also call the crisis line at (615) 244-7444.

If you ever need to call the crisis line or take someone to a psychiatric hospital, it is important to stay with the client until they are no longer alone.  It would be unsafe for the person to be left alone, since mania impairs clear thinking. Clients may seem angry or agitated and tell you to go away, but they need your support, whether they realize it or not.

The Access Center staff hopes that this information has prepared you to effectively recognize mania and how to react.  A manic episode can be frightening and overwhelming for everyone involved, but when it is treated effectively, clients can become safe and healthy.

Depression Can Be an Illness

Everyone suffers from depression from time to time. For many people, a simple treat at the local shopping mall after a hard day can be the fix. However, this is not always the case. When people are clinically depressed and suffer from a chemical imbalance, they need medication more than a surface-level answer. Depression can be so severe that a person could suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, a diagnosable disorder in the DSM-V book.

According to the DSM-V, five or more of the following symptoms must be present during a two-week period to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder:

1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day

2. Diminished interest in most activities most of  the day, nearly every day

3. Unhealthy weight loss or weight gain

4. Sleeping too much or too little

5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly   every day

6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day

7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt

       nearly every day

8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate,  

       or indecisiveness, nearly every day

9. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide

 

Also, to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, the symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The symptoms must also be not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or to another medical condition.

 

There’s an amusing, but wise cartoon about Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh that was discussing how to interact with someone with depression. It said that Eeyore’s friends accepted him for who he was and realized he was different. They simply loved him and let him share their adventures. Students who struggle with depression should be treated the same way. Although they may be different and face different challenges, they should be welcomed to the adventure of learning in higher education.

Wounded Healers

There’s a story of a worker who had a job fetching water. For his work, he used a long wooden pole with a pot on either side. The pot on the left was very proud of its perfection, and it would always do an excellent job carrying water, without spilling a drop. However, the pot on the right was filled with cracks and holes and the water would always spill out before the worker reached the destination. This pot would often be jealous of the perfect pot who always did a perfect job. The pot said to the worker “I am so ashamed of my flaws. You rely on me to transport water, and I always fail you.” The worker responded, “What you don’t know is that I’ve planted seeds along your side of the path, and you have been helping the flowers grow when you leak water. You have been ashamed of your imperfections, but your cracks and holes have been responsible for beautiful flowers.”

Many people who work in the helping professions have been through difficult situations with their health, families, or other adversity. These challenges can help us to be more compassionate and wise. However, one author cautions that it is not simply going through difficult experiences, but the ability to think critically about those experiences, that makes a wounded healer more effective.

Higher education is filled with employees who use their life experiences to improve the lives of college students. When we attend our statewide conference for higher education and disability issues, individuals who have all kinds of different abilities have been in attendance. These colleagues have been great advocates for their students as well as excellent role models.

Our college campuses are filled with students having diverse abilities and challenges. When faculty and staff are able to empathize, we can help every student feel safe and accepted.

Helping Students Appreciate Individuality

 

ADHD presents a person with unique genetics and life experiences (often referred to as nature and nurture). People with ADHD may become frustrated that organization, discipline, and focus do not come naturally. However, other qualities may come naturally, such as creative problem solving and compassion. Because of nature and nurture, everyone struggles in different ways and for different reasons. People with ADHD may become jealous that others seem to have an easier life. However, people of which they might be jealous may be facing private, personal struggles. It is crucial to realize that everyone, whether they have ADHD or not, has joys and sorrows, as well as strengths and weaknesses. One life experience that we all can appreciate is employment at Nashville State Community College, where we have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of students. The Access Center staff hopes that this series of posts for ADHD Awareness Month has been beneficial to the campus community. If any of you have any questions about ADHD or any other concern, please contact Andrew Mason (ext. 3741) or Gina Jones (ext. 3721).

Helping Students Take Responsibility for Solutions

 

Last week, we looked at the importance of encouraging students as faculty and staff here at NSCC. Although we can support students, it is important to realize that students need to take responsibility as well. Students are the experts on their learning style and their needs. Instead of making complaints, it is important for students to make requests that are respectful, reasonable, and solution-focused. For example, suppose a student was having difficulty copying a PowerPoint presentation quickly enough during the lecture. Instead of complaining to the instructor that he was going too fast, the student could ask “would it be possible to post the PowerPoint on NS Online?” Another solution could be bringing a recorder to class. By focusing on solutions instead of problems, students can be more likely to succeed. One workbook for people with ADHD asks the student to list all the benefits of complaining and blaming. (The authors are making the point that there are none.) Then the workbook asks the student to list the benefits of focusing on what you can control and taking action. Hopefully that would encourage more response!

Nurturing Strengths

 

Counselors often say “counseling isn’t fixing what is broken, but nurturing what is best.” Sometimes in the world of clinical psychology, there is such an emphasis on DSM-V diagnosis that there is not enough emphasis on nurturing strengths. Some counselors only give a DSM-V diagnosis for insurance purposes, since they want their conversations with clients to be more positive.

Students who have been diagnosed with ADHD have often faced a lifetime of discouraging, problem-saturated conversations. Maybe psychiatrists focused too much on symptoms without directing them to coping skills. Perhaps they have been the target of bullying for being different. Some students may have parents who can’t tolerate their lack of motivation and organization.

A kind word to a struggling student can be life-changing. Perhaps you notice a student is especially gifted in a certain area or they really put forth an extra effort on an assignment. Maybe a student takes a creative approach to problem solving. When we help students discover their strengths, the college experience can prepare them for a lifetime of making meaningful contributions to society.

What is ADHD?

For ADHD Awareness Month, the Access

Center has composed a series of four articles

that will give you the tools to interact with this

unique population effectively.

This week, we will look at the symptoms of

ADHD and how it is diagnosed.

No single test can determine ADHD, and

other situations can mimic signs of ADHD.

(burnout, being overcommitted, side effects of

medications.) Therefore, assessment of

ADHD should be done only by a trained

professional using a variety of tests.

By examining the three different types of

ADHD—inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive,

and combined—one can better understand

the challenges of each type.

Inattentive presentation:

   Fails to pay close attention to details      
   or makes careless mistakes

         
       Has difficulty sustaining attention.


   Does not appear to listen.


   Struggles to follow through on instructions.

   Has difficulty with organization.


   Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring a lot

   of thinking.

   Loses things.


   Is easily distracted.

   Is forgetful in daily activities.
 

 

 

Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation

    Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in     

    chair.

    Has difficulty remaining seated.

    Runs about or climbs excessively in
    children; extreme restless in adults.

     Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
 
          Acts as if driven by a motor. Adults
    will feel inside like they were driven by   
    a motor.

    Talks excessively.

    Blurts out answers before questions   
    have been completed.

    Difficulty waiting or taking turns.

              
    Interrupts or intrudes on others.

Combined inattentive and Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation

Has symptoms from both of the above presentations.

 

In making the diagnosis, children still should

have six or more symptoms of the disorder. In

older teens and adults the DSM-5 states they

should have at least five symptoms.

Although accurate diagnosis is crucial, it is

only the first step. One author used the

analogy of a hungry person going to a

restaurant and being diagnosed with hunger

instead of being fed! When we examine tools

and coping skills, people with ADHD can feel

more confident and those who interact with

them can better understand how to meet their

needs.

Each week in October, we will discuss a

different way to encourage people with ADHD

in higher education.