The Wisdom to Know the Difference

In recovery, people often talk about “having the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The realization that some things are beyond our control is crucial to success in higher education as well. When a person tries to control everything, frustration is certain. However, by focusing on the things within our control, everyone at Nashville State can contribute to a positive learning environment.

We appreciate the students registered with the Access Center. Although none of them has chosen a learning, physical, or psychological health profile, they have focused on one thing that they can control—registering with the Access Center.  Instead of complaining about things beyond their control, they have shown “the courage to change the things they can” by requesting accommodations.

We love working with the faculty and staff here at NSCC, as we all work together to encourage students.  Whether it be giving a student extra help at the computer, making comments on a research paper, or helping an incoming student with paperwork, you all make a contribution to Nashville State. Students are responsible for their own learning and choices, but we appreciate you for doing your part.

Every day, students, faculty, and staff contact the Access Center. A faculty member is concerned about a student’s absence. A student is having trouble paying attention in class. A prospective student or parent calls to find out what accommodations are available. Each person is asking “What can I do?” When each of us answers this question honestly, we can truly have the “serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Effective Response to Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States. When we lose our hearing, it may affect quality of life and relationships. In this blog, we look at the symptoms, causes, and treatments of hearing loss. You'll find some strategies to increase your communication.

Hearing occurs when sound waves reach the structures inside our ears, where the sound wave vibrations are converted into nerves that our brain recognizes as sounds. There are three parts that make up an ear: outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Sound waves pass through the outer ear and cause vibrations on the eardrums. The eardrums and the small bones of the middle ear amplify the vibrations as they travel to the inner ear. From there, the vibrations pass through the fluid in a snail-shaped structure in the inner ear called the cochlea. Attached to the nerve cells in the cochlea are thousands of tiny hairs that help translate sound vibrations into electrical signals that are transmitted into the brain.


Signs and symptoms of hearing loss may include:

• muffling of speech and other sounds
• difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd of people
• trouble hearing consonants
• frequently asking others to speak more slowly,clearly, and loudly
• needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
• withdrawal from conversations
• avoidance of some social settings

Some of the causes of hearing loss may include:

• damage to the inner ear due to aging and exposure to loud noise
• ear infections or build up of ear wax
• ruptured eardrum resulting from exposure to loud noises or changes in pressure
• side effects of medication
• certain illness such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes
• trauma (eg. skull fracture or punctured eardrums)

Treatment options include:
(depending on severity and cause)

• removing wax blockage
• surgical procedures (small tubes that help the ears drain)
• hearing aids which amplify the sounds and direct them into your canal
• cochlear implants which compensate for damaged and nonworking parts of the inner ear

Strategies for communication include:

• making sure you face  the person if they are reading your lips
• speaking clearly with good diction and pronunciation (not speaking more loudly)
• using written communication if you are having  trouble communicating
• using captioned videos in the classroom

An understanding of the symptoms, causes, and treatments can allow a person with hearing loss to enjoy a greater quality of life. By using effective strategies for communication, people with hearing loss can gain better access to post-secondary education.

 

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.