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New Book Helps People Cope With Loss Of Job Due To A Disability

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The book offers lists of comforting thoughts to help build a hopeful, positive attitude.

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By VICKIE BECK Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 4, 2009

Updated: 03/05/2009 02:44 pm

These days, articles and books about people losing their jobs - what they should do and how they should cope - are everywhere.

However, there's one that's a little different; it's a book meant to help people who become unemployed because of an injury or disability.

Psychologist John Tholen draws on 27 years of treating people he calls "occupationally disabled" in "Winning the Disability Challenge: A Practical Guide to Successful Living" (New Horizon Press, $13.95).

The first few chapters address the emotional roller coaster that may accompany the sudden loss of employment (especially under these circumstances), concerns about family and finances, and offer some positive examples of people successfully living with disability.

The book includes lists of comforting thoughts to help build a hopeful, positive attitude; charts for daily schedules that will keep you busy; and examples of positive, assertive statements. There are chapters on recognizing personal power, getting started on this new way of life and relationships.

Chapter 9, "The Pursuit of Feeling Well," includes a six-page section on "Exercise, Diet and Weight Control." Tholen's first suggestions are walking or possibly dancing - and he stresses finding something you enjoy to maintain an exercise program. As for dieting, he suggests developing a healthier lifestyle and offers several tips, including:

•Start a food diary

•Limit fat consumption

•Eat slowly

•Find weight-loss and exercise partners

•Keep a number of low-calorie foods on hand

•Don't skip breakfast

The "Pursuit of Feeling Well" chapter also has a few pages on managing chronic pain, including a multilayered approach, with these suggestions:

•Keep a pain diary

•Develop a plan of distracting activities

•Develop relaxation skills

•Cultivate a support network

•Investigate non-pharmaceutical pain control methods

•Avoid states of deprivation

•Continue to pursue personal goals

The book includes information on programs to assist people with disabilities who are unemployed and also has some resource lists. The lists seem somewhat inadequate - only two organizations are listed for Florida - but it is a starting point.

Depending on one's level of disability, some of the book may seem too simplistic or not applicable. However, there is much in the book - especially on such topics as self-assertion, relationships and positive attitude - that could be of help to anyone, regardless of employment status or physical ability.

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