Don’t Forget The Annual Pig Roast is August 18th, 2007 at

The Annual (Brain Injury Association (BIA) Conference-October 11,2007 at 8:45-4:30PM & October 12, 2007 at 8:45-5PM at The Radisson Hotel (317-244-3361) in Indianapolis, In. or Call the BIA Indiana office for info at 317-356-7722! -------------------------------------------- Denial---sometimes used to cope In counseling, the terms: Acceptance, Integration, Adaptation Adjustment & Coping are used to describe a stage of one’s disability or the level of mental health after a critical event. Yet, even today medical persons without knowledge & experience can misdiagnose treatment. If you are experiencing or know someone experiencing difficulties seek medical attention. Ask how many years experience & understanding the medical person has with mental health issues. Only an experienced physician can make a proper diagnosis based on person/patient information, caregiver information, & time spent with a person/patient. Beginning in 1991, Livneh studied people having been clinically termed as “in denial.” Levneh studied the level of denial as a disability. Interestingly, some cases used “denial” as a COPING STATEGY! Then in 2001, Olney & Kim found that most people were aware of the negative meaning of “disability” in culture & community, also, the fact that “a disability” led others to have fear or have a social stigma/concern about the “disability.” Most people were & still are aware of the fact that “disability” involves discriminatory treatment, avoidance, or child-like treatment by others. According to the study, Olney & Kim found persons hid their disability status from others, at least in some ways or in some social settings. “Instead of ‘reaching a point of adjustment’, participants used their experience differently from minute to minute, expressing self-assurance & shame, coherence, & conflict-sometimes in the same breath but in a healthy way so as to survive & prosper with a disability-not denying the disability/problem itself but its effects.” The person with the disability & their significant other (friend, spouse, doctor) fully aware of the disability but verbally or in actions appeared to down-play it to others while doing a task or conversation. This is vital because no longer could a straight forward diagnosis of: “In denial, depressed, anxious, or having other social problems.” These studies caused the medical profession to learn to closely interact & observe patients over an extended period of time to be able to correctly diagnose people with: 1. no treatment necessary; 2. varies types of therapy (clinical, yoga, massage, etc); 3. medication; 4. homeopathy; 5. exercise or 6. diet. Understanding how each individual adjust to one’s own disability is now based on internal & external factors. A trained, experienced physician can diagnose denial or striving to survive to be able to make the proper diagnosis based on caregiver info, person/patient info, & time spent with a person/patient. # -------------------------------------------