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The Power of Peer Support

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How important is peer support to you? Anyone who has experienced physical health problems knows that dealing with them can be mentally unsettling as well. Surgery, countless doctor’s appointments, prescription drug side effects, physical pain, having to depend on others for help, and trying to find a new daily routine are all typical components that affect your mental state and can lead to low morale. The opposite is true as well — a negative or dissonant psyche will often provoke or worsen physical symptoms. While keeping a positive attitude can do wonders, it’s much easier in theory than in practice and not many people are able to combat those negative thoughts that creep up at any given moment on their own.

So what can you do? Lean on your peers! Numerous studies make the argument that we are programmed to seek out relationships with other human beings. We don’t have to spend hours reading through the statistics to understand this, though; just take a look at current social trends. Wherever technology permits, social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) spreads like wildfire. Why? Because at a very basic level, humans crave connection with and recognition from other humans. While the salubrity of heavy use of online social media is debatable, face-to-face interaction is essential to our well-being, and here are some of the most important reasons why:

1 Comfort in Numbers

If you’ve been feeling alienated or like you no longer fit in with your usual crowd, seeking out people who have already endured what you’re going through can provide comfort. Even if your friends and family are well-intentioned and supportive, they simply can’t understand where you’re coming from unless they have been faced with the same situation. A peer support group offers confirmation that you’re not alone in this fight and that you can and will survive and even thrive again.

2 Education and Giving Back

Doctors can try to explain the science to you, but they most likely can’t relate to what you’re going through on a deeper level. People who have already navigated the waters can help you learn more about your condition from a practical, rather than scientific, perspective. Peers can share their firsthand experience right down to the nitty-gritty details. Once you start to find your groove, taking newbies under your wing can assist in keeping your spirits high as well. Giving back is always good for the soul!

3 Two (or more) Heads are Better Than One

Have you been racking your brain trying to sort out a nagging problem? Ping your peers about it! In most cases, groups are able to find answers faster and come up with more creative solutions than even the most intelligent member working alone. Each individual brings a unique perspective to the table based on their journey and background, laying the groundwork for a more thorough examination of the issue at hand. A team will almost always beat out a lone wolf.

4 Camaraderie

Folks love to hang out, whether it be playing cards together, having coffee, catching a movie, or shooting hoops. Joining a peer support group is a great way to meet new people with whom you’re sure to have something in common, and new friendships are bound to form. Who couldn’t use a new buddy to call up when you’re itching to hit up that new restaurant or your favorite band comes to town?

Even if you’re more of an introvert and reaching out to others doesn’t come naturally, studies show that peer support groups can provide reassurance and help members battle negative feelings and even depression. Talk to your doctor about support programs in your area and give it a shot. Whatever your situation, don’t go it alone!

If you’ve been happy with the support Comfort Medical has given you throughout your journey as an ostomate, please spread the word to your new peers that we’re here to help!

Embracing YOU: How to Stay Positive After a Life-Changing Injury

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Is your glass half full or half empty? Even for the cheeriest among us, a life-changing event can quickly throw you into a cycle of negativity. If you’ve recently experienced an injury or an operation that has forced you to reconfigure your daily life in a significant way, you may well be feeling down in the dumps, hopeless, or perhaps depressed. While this is normal, you don’t have to take the defeatist route and let your negative thoughts dictate how you live your life going forward.

Easier said than done, right? Staying positive in a less-than-ideal situation is by no means a breeze, but once you decide to put in a little effort toward taking control of your future, you’ll discover that optimism is the most fulfilling way to go. If you don’t know where to start, try one of these:

Practice Reframing

Reframing is a common tool used by psychologists to help patients see things in a different light. Imagine you drop your phone and it shatters into a thousand pieces. While most people would initially react with anger, reframing calls for consciously viewing the situation in a different way. Maybe this means taking the opportunity to disconnect from technology for a few hours in order to destress from a busy work week or perhaps your phone was getting old anyway and now you have a valid reason to splurge on a new one. In other words, instead of beating yourself up over something you cannot change, look for the silver lining!

Surround Yourself with Optimistic and Inspiring People

Remember those SNL sketches where after continuously pointing out the negative, the whole cast readily flees from the company of Debbie Downer? We can all relate; pessimists are a drag to be around. Conversely, optimists tend to brighten the mood of everyone around them. If you’re feeling blue, call up a good-humored buddy and grab a cup of coffee together. It is also worth considering joining a local support group. Meeting others who have been through similar circumstances and hearing their success stories can be inspirational and help spark ideas for exciting new endeavors in your own life.

Move Your Body

If you are physically able, moving in any way that raises your heart rate or works different muscle groups has a host of benefits. When exercising, your body produces endorphins which have been shown to not only diminish chronic pain but also improve sleep quality. By moving your body regularly, you’ll start to notice differences in your energy levels and physical appearance. What better way to boost self-esteem? Remember, you don’t have to do a “typical” form of exercise such as jogging or biking. Look for adaptive sports teams in your area, go for walks or rolls with a friend, do adaptive yoga, dance, or invent your own form of movement tailored to your individual capabilities.

Need reliable catheter supplies that will help you live an active lifestyle? Click HERE.

Learn Something New

Once your formal education days are over, it’s easy to put down the books and fall into a mundane routine of work and passive screen time. However, studies show that switching your brain off is detrimental to health and can even accelerate conditions such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Scientists have confirmed that the human brain is plastic, meaning it is capable of both physical and chemical change. By picking up a new hobby, learning a foreign language, or even mastering different knot-tying techniques, your brain is firing neurons and creating new synaptic connections keeping your mind as sharp as a tack. Giving your brain a workout also stimulates the production of dopamine resulting in a natural high and making it easier for you to steer your focus away from negative feelings. Similar to physical exercise, there is not a singular right answer or magic formula. As long as your chosen activity piques your interest, it’ll do the trick.

Some would argue that the human brain is hard-wired to retain negative experiences more easily than positive ones and that certain people are genetically predisposed to pessimism. If you’ve never been the glass half full type, you will probably have to work pretty hard at looking on the bright side of your current situation. If all of these tips seem overwhelming or unrealistic to you, start your road to positivity by simply faking a smile every now and then. You might just find that it becomes genuine after a while!

One Last Tip:  A hassle-free life can most definitely have a positive effect on your overall well-being. If you’re having trouble adjusting after a recent ostomy surgery or trying to get used to using a catheter, Comfort Medical is here for you! Give us a call at 1-844-700-7013 to find out how we can help.

Comfort Conversations: Finding Your New Normal After a Spinal Cord injury

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Join us every other month for Comfort Conversations, a discussion series led by our Ambassadors who share their thoughts on issues affecting wheelchair users worldwide. Today’s topic is on finding a new normal after a spinal cord injury, written by Comfort Ambassador Margarita Elizondo.  

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As I laid in ICU hooked up to life support, sustained by IV’s, blood transfusions, and a very heavy piece of metal bolted to my head (halo), I was told I was facing the possibility of being dependent on a breathing machine. I was told I was paralyzed from my neckline down, and that I would never speak again. All I could think about was, “How am I going to be a mother to my kids?” Grounded in my faith, I began praying and fighting to gain back as much movement and independence as possible because I knew my children who were ages 13, 8, and 6 years old at the time, still needed me.

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We don’t all respond the same to trauma and loss. Some people become numb to the situation, some angry, some depressed, and some accept it and move on very quickly. No matter how we respond, we all go through a transition of finding our “new normal.”

Your Foundation

In order to find your “new normal,” you first have to identify yourself with a foundation that you’re going to stand on as your moral compass. For me, my faith has been my stomping ground. I celebrate my faith in good times and I rely on it for strength in times of difficulty. For some, it may be their determination to thrive, despite their limitations for others belief in a universe that’s greater than themselves. Having a foundation gives you hope and balance. It helps you learn from your past, live in your present, and no matter how much you’re struggling, look forward to the future.

(Check out Whrel:Life.org article on faith and rehabilitation)

Learning the New You While Holding onto the Old You.

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I’m 10 years post injury and still forget to I can’t do all the things I used to do. While trauma does cause a lot of pain, for the most part, your mind, your heart, and your soul, post injury remain intact. Only your body has changed, not you. So first learn what you can do with the new changes and thrive to gain back as much mobility as possible in order to become as independent as possible. Then, realign your mind, heart, and soul with the body you have now. Your mind will always fall back into who you used to be before your injury, especially if your injury occurred later in life like me (I was 32 years old when I got hurt). You will learn to merge who you were then with how you do things now, and who you are today. Remember, past experiences make future experiences even greater!

 Acceptance

Acceptance is the hardest transition. Even if you accepted your situation at the onset of your injury, you will face many challenges and even a few barriers that will make you cry out, “Why me?” There will be times when you will encounter people who treat you differently because sadly, all they see is the chair and you will cry out, “Why me?” There will be many times that you see your peers doing things you would be doing if you were not paralyzed and you will cry out, “Why me?” Some may tell you, “God will only put on your plate what you can handle.” Others may tell you, “This was your destiny.” My all-time favorite is, “Why does it matter you’re such an inspiration.”

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I tell people as long as you’re alive, you have a purpose in life. Adversity is something we all go through to make our purpose stronger. We can’t change what happened to us, but we can control how we allow it to affect us. Either we choose to live as victims or we choose to live as survivors and push through every challenge, even when it feels like the challenge wants to consume us.

Direction

What now? We all ask. Sadly, for most, career plans and hobbies come to a complete stop along with their mobility.

The truth is direction changes in people’s lives all the time, regardless of trauma or paralysis. Once your rehabilitation plan is done or at least stable and you have learned your new body’s abilities, it’s time to discover adaptive living.

Adaptive living coupled with your old interests will help give you a new sense of direction. A huge part of adaptive living is maximizing all resources: Department of Rehabilitation, Independent Living, peer support groups, and even going back to school. Through these resources, you will occupy time, learn new skills, meet new people, and decide what direction you can take in life. Keep in mind, you will be starting all over again and just like the first time, you may try a direction that does not work out for you, but don’t give up. Just keep pushing forward until you create the lifestyle that fits you.

Here are some tips to follow:

  1. Have a vision.
  2. Create a plan.
  3. Set goals for your plan.
  4. Go for it!
  5. Succeed or not, but learn from your attempt.
  6. Then start again!

Stay Connected!

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Life with a SCI has many transitions and sadly as an inpatient and outpatient, the main focus is getting you as independent as possible and not necessarily preparing you for all the different transitions you will face in the future. Main reasons being; it’s a lot to tackle in such a short period of time and not everyone’s transitions are the same, nor take place at the same time. The best person to help guide you through the many transitions life with a SCI will put you through is another SCI survivor who has already gone through them. Peer support and online groups will help get you the one on one answers to a lot of your questions and give you tips on new ways of living.

I run a faith-based group called Blessed with Life for individuals and families affected by disability. It has helped me find my new normal, keeps me grounded in my foundation and provides the peer support from like-minded people who understand my struggles.

About the author:Margarita Headshot

Comfort Medical Ambassador Margarita Elizondo is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, producer/host of Wheel Talk Wheel Issues, model, author and an ambassador for the Los Angeles Abilities Expo. She was paralyzed in 2006 after an intruder broke into her home. Now, a single mother of three and grandmother, she pursues a degree in Communication at Grossmont Community College, and works for Axia Management where she designed a wireless phone service for seniors and individuals with disabilities. As Ms. Wheelchair California 2013, she is a strong advocate in the disability community and volunteers for numerous nonprofits. You can follow her @Ms_Hotwheels on Twitter and Instagram, or reach her on Facebook or through www.margaritaelizondo.com.

 

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Comfort Medical delivers the leading brands of catheters and ostomy products to customers who use wheelchairs nationwide.

Comfort Medical delivers the leading brands of catheters and ostomy products to customers who use wheelchairs nationwide.

comfort medical brochureThe Wheel:Life-Comfort Medical Relationship

Wheel:Life is now part of the Comfort Medical family! With more than 26,000 followers on social media, we served more than 100,000 website visitors with lifestyle resources in 2015.  To help us expand our community impact, we have become part of the Comfort Medical organization.

Thanks to our relationship, we are able serve even more people who use wheelchairs with lifestyle resources, helpful products, and services.

Comfort Medical provides an extensive selection of name brand catheter and ostomy supplies to thousands of customers nationwide.

Their attention to detail, unmatched customer service, and dedication to helping customers live a happier, healthier life are just a few of the many reasons Comfort is one of the fastest growing catheter and ostomy supply companies in the nation.

If you have any questions about your medical supply needs, click here to get in touch with a Comfort Medical specialist!

Note: The Comfort Conversations articles are for informational use only and are not intended to be construed as medical advice. Ask your doctor about issues related to your health and medical needs.

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