Reflection from Level I FW C

Here is my reflection from my rotation an inpatient psychiatric hospital!

12-Step Meeting: Nar-Anon Family Group

My oldest brother Wesley has been an addict for over 10 years, so every now and then I will accompany my mother to a Nar-Anon Family Group.  I have been to a handful of these, but I am going to refer to the most recent one I attended.  On January 17th of this year, I attended a one hour session with my mother in a classroom at Hope Church.  This group is not affiliated with any religion: Hope graciously allows them to hold their group there.  In this specific session, we discussed the concept on enabling.  In our Groups OCP class, we have also talked about what enabling means; however, in that context ennabling someone meant helping them get to their full potential.  In the context of addiction, enablement means that you are encouraging a loved one to participate in a dysfunctional behavior.  In this session we learned that in most cases, enablement comes from good intentions, but it something you must will yourself to resist in order to ultimately help the one you love overcome his/her addiction.  The leader of this group is a father of an addict who is now sober and he assumes a role of a peer.  Since this group is a mature group that (usually) consists of cognitively unimpaired adults, the group leader simply acts as one of the group who casually leads the discussion.  He never acts as if he has all the answers and typically allows the other group members to provide answers to questions given by other group members.  He encourages dialogue within the group by creating an inviting environment: coffee is provided and everyone is in a circle. The room is rather open so we never feel trapped or claustrophobic.  The most calming thing about the environment is the fact that we are amongst those who know the struggle of loving an addict.  It is a "safe" zone to let out your frustration or anger and not feel guilty for it.  I have never encountered any type of judgment in this setting before.  Sometimes, there are individuals who tend to take all the "spotlight" and overshare.  The facilitator will remedy this problem by directly asking other people to share their thoughts about the subject.  I would definitely consider this experience to be therapeutic.  At my angriest points, I feel understood and my tank has been filled with encouragement and empathy.

Specifically, this session in January resembled a Cognitive-Behavioral group.  Many people who have addicts in their family will give them money (which they ultimately spend on drugs), allow them to stay in their homes, or just simply take on the negative consequences that the addict has created.  We do this because we think we are helping them, but we are not actually helping anything.  Part of the problem is that addicts have a "warped" mindset and blame us if we do not "help them out".  It is truly a terrible spot to be in.  This theory was used in this group session because in order to change the enabling behavior, we must first change our thoughts about what enablement really is and the harm it can cause ourselves and those we love.  This is a hard mindset to break and cannot be done overnight.  Accepting the fact that we are not the ones who can help the addicts in our lives is the most useful thing I got out of this session.  The addict is the only one who can make the first step to recovery.

What I have learned from these experiences is that sometimes I feel like my family was dealt the worst hand with Wesley, but that is not the case.  I hear the stories of these other individuals and I see that they struggle just like we do (if not more).

Fortunately, as I have said before, Wesley is now at the Warriors Center which is a rehab for men.  He is making great progress there.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share on this aspect of my life.  I don't often get the chance to.

Article Reflection: Effectiveness of a Sensory-Enriched Early Intervention Group Program for Children With Developmental Disabilities

Blanche, E., Chang, M., Gutierrez, J., & Gunter, J. (2016). Effectiveness of a sensory-enriched early intervention group program for children with developmental disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(5). doi:10.5014/ajot.2016.018481

The purpose of this article was to observe how effective a group program called the Interdisciplinary Sensory-Enriched Early Intervention (ISEEI) for children who have developmental delays.  ISEEI was designed in part by occupational therapists and can have up to 12 children in a group.  Ideally, the ratio of adult to child is 1:3.  This program involved consultations in the home, excursions to parks or places of recreation, and courses designed to train parents of those with developmental delays.  The children in this study attended the group program 2-3 times for week for 3 hours each time. The protocol for this group involved addressing themes such as social interaction, motor development (gross and fine), development of cognition, and communication/language skills.  For this study, each child was given individual goals based on assessment, medical history, and concerns of the parent.  Progress was recorded every 3-6 months.  The clinical bottom line for this study is that results showed that this protocol demonstrated statistically significant improvement in all developmental areas for those with sensory processing disorder(except fine motor skills).  Those without sensory-related difficulties showed significant advancements in language/cognition.

The most interesting and useful aspect of this study was that it broadened my knowledge of who the groups process can be useful for.  While in this class, I usually associate group interventions with people who have mental health related diagnoses; however, it is true that any population can benefit from group intervention.  The children in this study were in between the ages of 18-36 months which means that the role of the facilitator was most definitely directive.  This article does not explicitly say which frame of reference they used, but I mostly associate this population with Allens Cognitive Levels because those with cognitive impairments closely resemble the mental capacities of children in most cases.  In my Perspectives of Adulthood class, we were first introduced to the concept of Allen's Cognitive Levels.  We were taught a way to remember what the characteristics of each level is to think of the age group it resembles.  For example, Level 1 resembles the cognitive abilities of someone 0-12 months and level 3 is associated with someone 18 months to 3 years old.  That being said, the Developmental theory closely applies because the purpose of the study was to develop age-appropriate skills for each child.

One thing I learned from this article is that groups can also involve the caregivers as well.  When we made our group protocols for this class, we always had to keep in mind the client population; however, there are some cases in which we will involve the caregivers into the group process and their needs must be taken into consideration.

I enjoyed this experience because every time I read an article, I get one step closer to being a well-rounded, evidence-based practitioner!

Group Facilitation - Exploring Volunteerism

On February 26, 2018, I facilitated a group entitled "Exploring Volunteerism".  During this group, I was given the opportunity to facilitate on my own and bring a protocol that I created to life.  During the introduction, I believe I was not very sure of myself and I am sure my voice was a bit shaky (this tends to happen when I speak in front of others); however, when we moved on to the first activity, I became more comfortable with my group and it evolved into more of a dialogue.  The first activity was my favorite because the handprint craft allowed a more relaxed and informal setting and elicited a more open conversation between group members.  My second activity, the Volunteer Match website, went much better than I anticipated.  I was pleasantly surprised when my group members said they would use this tool in the future and might even use it for their own clients.  I think the Blue group is very unique because we all give input and participate to the best of our ability in these groups, and that was definitely true with the one I facilitated.  I anticipated this group to not be as exciting as the others because we are all required to get volunteer work for the MOT program, so volunteerism is not a foreign thing to any of us.  Despite that, my group shared and processed the information in a wonderful way.  I believe this group session went by effortlessly and lasted the appropriate amount of time.  My biggest take-away from this group facilitation was that I became more comfortable being in a position of authority and speaking in front of other people (which, will no doubt be a part of any occupational therapy setting I eventually become involved in).  Ultimately, I believe this facilitation was very beneficial for my learning.

Leadership Summit

Leadership Summit with Lauren Murphy and Audrey Robertson

Today, I met with Lauren and Audrey to discuss our individual group facilitations for life skills.  Since I have already turned in my rough draft for my group next Monday, my plan as already completed. I discussed this plan with the group and they gave me feedback.  They liked my activity ideas and provided specific suggestions on how to tweak them to make it better.  Lauren and Audrey had not yet turned in their respective rough drafts, so we also spent some time brainstorming about activities they could do and possible theoretical approaches they could take.  The most useful aspect of this group was getting my peer's input on how to approach my facilitation using my theoretical approach.  I told them how I could tie in the Cognitive Behavioral Approach and they gave me more insight as to how I could further defend my theoretical approach when the time came.  Since Audrey and Lauren both chose Allen Cognitive approach for their theoretical basis, they were given the opportunity to discuss strategies and critique one another based on their chosen approach.  This experience helped further refine my group skills and aided me in my process of putting the final touches on my group protocol.  

Group Facilitation - Conflict Resolution

Group Facilitation Reflection

Yesterday, Lauren Murphy, Sarah Caldwell, and I facilitated a group on conflict resolution.  I thought this group facilitation was rather painless and quite enjoyable once we were actually doing it.  The planning aspect did not take too long - my partners worked well together and we came up with a written plan within an hour.
Our introduction was unlike many other groups I had been in previously...We started off by explaining the group and expectations; however, we started off by asking them some ways they have handled conflict in unhealthy ways.  We decided to break the ice in a hard-hitting manner.  I noticed that our group members were hesitant to answer initially, but once they started speaking everyone became a lot more comfortable with each other.  Our activity went just as planned - we estimated how long each activity would take beforehand so we would not be crunched for time.  Our activity elicited insightful responses from our group as well.  They shared personal experiences with conflict resolution, which I believed help us build rapport with one another.  After the exercises were completed, we reflected on what we learned.  I thought that the group members were not going to share much of what they learned because as graduate students, I expected them to be well-versed in conflict resolution strategies.  However, all of them contributed to the conversation about that they learned and how they can apply is to real-life situations.  I believe the atmosphere we created encouraged conversation and gave each individual sufficient time to answer the questions.  We did not cut anyone off during their moment to speak and only transitioned to the next question when everyone was done speaking.  Ultimately,  I think our group did pretty well for our first group facilitation experience.  However, I do believe this would be much more difficult if our group members has some sort of disability.

Preventing Alzheimer's

Today I listened to a Ted Talk by Lisa Genova, the author of the novel Still Alice.  In her talk entitled "What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's", Lisa describes the pathology behind the most common neurodegenerative disease and possible ways to protect your brain from it.  She explains that Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is caused by plaques of amyloid beta accumulating within the synapses in a brain.  This phenomenon occurs naturally in the brain as it ages, but it becomes a problem once the number reaches a tipping point and becomes Alzheimer's disease.  Although there is no cure for this disease, Lisa suggests that certain measures can be taken to help prevent these plaques from reaching their tipping point.  Cardiovascular disease and lack of sleep are two examples of health problems that lead to an overgrowth of amyloid plaques in the body. If we make an effort to decrease these stresses on our bodies, then it can significantly reduce the risk of developing AD.  Preventative measures are more effective than trying to treat AD once you have it; however, she goes on to say that the effects that AD have on the body can be reduced through neuroplasticity and creating more connections in what she calls a "cognitive reserve".  For example, learning a new language like Italian will stimulate the brain and therefore create new connections.

I chose this for my neuro note because I have been interested in Lisa Genova's work ever since we discussed her book Still Alice during class.  I think it is remarkable that she is a neuroscientist and a talented author who has the creativity to implement her knowledge through a work of fiction.  After seeing this Ted Talk, I am going to continue my knowledge through reading Still Alice.  She briefly discussed how the main character, Alice, has a rare genetic component that put her at a great risk to develop AD. I also wanted to learn a little more about Lisa's background, so I explored her "About Me" page on her website: http://lisagenova.com/about-lisa/

She appears to be a truly intelligent person.

My main take away from this video was that Alzheimer's Disease is not necessarily inevitable. It seems that if someone lives long enough, he/she will more than likely get this disease.  However, science is making some serious headway with finding preventative measures and hopefully someday, a cure. As an occupational therapist, it might be a good idea to show this Ted Talk to someone recently diagnosed with AD so he/she can begin to facilitate ways to promote neuroplasticity.  This video could bring hope to many people.

Genova, L. (2017, April). What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_prevent_alzheimer_s#t-820240

The Hook N' Hold Ad: Media Project Virtual Display

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It is a traditional worker's glove outfitted with custom shaped wire that gives users the ability to increase the strength in their grip by using the soon-to-be patented HnH design.

Unique Features of this glove include:

• Two hooks located on different fingers that allow variable grip positions
• One holding loop located ion the thumb to provide a home for the hook

We guarantee to make the simple things in life feel simple again.

Don't believe us? Ask one of our satisfied customers: Jane!

"Hi there! My name is Jane. I am a single 33-year-old nurse. Not long ago, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Along with the funny name the disease also comes with some obstacles. I was unable to perform fine motor tasks due to distal weakness in my upper extremities. My occupational therapist suggested we use the Hook N' Hold as adaptive equipment to improve my grip. She explained to me that this could help me hold my whisk when cooking, my shovel when gardening, and my toothbrush when performing self care activities (see my picture above). Instead of continually grasping an object, I can simply engage the hooks and relieve any stress on my hands. The device is so simple to use and it makes my life easier. I hope to be able to get to a point where I will no longer need the Hook N' Hold; with enough work I will reach my goals! Even though I have GBS, the Hook N' Hold can be used by anyone who has fine motor problems. I love my Hook N' Hold!"

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Don't forget: you can't Rock N' Roll without your Hook N' Hold!

This Is: A Glimpse into Brain Cancer

I have formed a habit of searching through the provided list of resources for what I will write in my neuro notes.  I skimmed through the various titles and came upon something unusual...a photo documentary.  After I clicked on the link, I came to a page filled only with photos. The pictures themselves were the story. The only explanation of the documentary was provided in the left hand corner of the page: this was Josh and Jenna's story.  "This is..." is the name of the documentary filled with emotional moments captured by a photographer named Jennifer Keenan Giliberto.  She explains that Josh and Jenna were generous enough to allow her to capture some of the most intimate times during Josh's battle with Grade IV, Glioblastoma Multiform.  Just two days into their honeymoon, Josh and Jenna discovered that Josh had a brain tumor.  These pictures are the brief glimpses into the roller coaster of a journey they had.

I almost closed the window once I realized what this documentary was.  When I saw that there was no text to go off of, I was hesitant to write my neuro note on it.  However, when I looked at a couple of the pictures in the documentary, I could not stop.  The raw emotion that is depicted is unbelievably intriguing.  No matter how many times I have heard how terrible brain cancer is, there is nothing quite like seeing it.

The documentary begins by showing pictures of Josh and Jenna in a hospital room before his invasive brain surgery.  Josh looks relatively healthy...this is the calm before the storm.  We are then taken on a journey through his surgery, therapy, and adjustment to life.  We see the hard times, but we also see the good times.  Despite all of the sorrow that goes along with this disease, Josh and Jenna experience unbelievable joy with the birth of their child.
The documentary is concluded with images that suggest that Josh is dying: he looses an extreme amount of weight and is lying lifeless in his bed with Jenna.  The last pictures show Josh being hoisted off of his bed and Jenna in uncontrollable tears.  I am not completely certain that Josh died that day, but that is what the pictures suggest.

Through this experience, albeit a short one, I have put together a bigger picture of what a fatal disease looks like. In our courses, we learn a great amount about the science of neurological dysfunction, but we must understand how these diseases affect the family unit. It's not just a MRI or a PET scan.  It's not just malignant cells that eventually kill their host.  It's unbelievable pain that NOBODY can understand unless you have been through it yourself. Families are part of our client demographic, and as such it is paramount that we use our therapeutic use of self in our practice. I cannot understand what their pain is like, and God willing I never will. This documentary is unique because it puts you in a first person perspective into this utterly gruesome experience.  I can say without a doubt that this neuro note experience hit me the hardest. There is something to be said about the impact that pictures have on the human soul.

After this experience, I did some brief research on what this particular type of brain cancer is.  I came across this website: http://www.abta.org/brain-tumor-information/types-of-tumors/glioblastoma.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
The research says that this type of cancer has a "median survival rate".  To me, that does not seem like a very positive prognosis. Looking at this website helped me put Josh and Jenna's story into perspective. I would recommend this site to those who are interested in learning about this type of cancer. 


Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/jkeenanphotography/photos/a.512697155472990.1073741838.441149622627744/1089317347810965/?type=3&theater


References 
JKeenan Photography. (n.d.) This is... Retrieved from http://www.thisisdocumentary.com/

Dementia: Ruby Jewel Bowen

Today I presented on the story of my grandmother, Ruby.  It was a really positive experience altogether: my peers seemed interested in her story and asked great questions as well.  Dementia is such an interesting topic to discuss because there isn't just one diagnosis that is attached to it.  Ruby had Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia there is.  What I got out of doing this report was that I used my "OT think" to solve problems that a loved one faced.  It helped me practice putting myself into my client's shoes because I was close to her personally.  As occupational therapists, we need to empathize and understand what our clients are going through.  If we think about the challenging parts in our lives and relate that feeling when we are working as OTs, we will better understand their struggles and pains.

Jack Osbourne and Multiple Sclerosis

Jack Osbourne, the son of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012.  Before his diagnosis, Ozzy was an extremely active individual with his own TV show "Jack Osborne: Adrenaline Junkie".  Unfortunately, MS is a disease that causes someone to fatigue easily and often, so Jack had to slow down his high-speed lifestyle.  Even despite this setback, Jack participated in the hit reality TV show, "Dancing with the Stars".  This show demanded a great deal of energy output for Jack, so there was a learning curve that he had to get a handle on in order to manage his disease properly.  Jack has Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis which means that he can experience symptoms at one point in time and they will fade away at another time.  This kind of MS is interesting to me because Jack experienced blindness in one eye for a time, and then his vision would suddenly come back.  I believe this characteristic of MS makes it unique and also more manageable for someone.  Even though MS is a disease that alters someone's life in a negative way, at least the symptoms can be alleviated for some people.  Also, it is very fortunate that this disease is not fatal and allows people to have a normal life expectancy.

Putting Ice in the Bucket

Putting Ice in the Bucket

Nancy Frates was just your typical mother of a baseball loving son, Pete.  She had a happy, typical life until the unthinkable happened: her 27 year old son was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.  It began with a hand injury from baseball that just didn't seem to heal; when he went to the neurologist, he was told that it wasn't an injury... it was a degenerative, fatal disease that would turn his world upside-down. Nancy Frates describes this journey in her Ted Talk: "Meet the Mom who started the Ice Bucket Challenge."  Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Pete made a powerful statement to his family: they were going to team up and create awareness about this "rare" disease.  His goal was to get this disease in front of big wig philanthropists such as Bill Gates.  Their entire family jumped on board: aunts, uncles, cousins, and other loved ones were given various responsibilities to make this possible.  The pivotal part in this story was when "the ice started to fall" and Pete's roommate made a call to action.  He poured a bucket of ice over himself and challenged others to do the same...all of this in an effort to raise money for ALS research. This simple gesture started a cascade of events that had worldwide impact.  Nancy describes the most groundbreaking moment was when Bill Gates himself did the challenge; it was so monumental because that was the goal that started all of this!

I chose this Ted Talk because I had seen the ice bucket challenge on social media and wanted to relate a face to the movement.  It's easy to look at a craze like the ice bucket challenge and forget that there is probably a story behind all of the hype.  Watching this video gave me insight into the internal battle that occurs when you or someone you love is diagnosed with a fatal disease.  Nancy said that many times she just wanted to curl up in a ball and not get out of bed.  However, she knew she had to get up and live life for her son.  If he could be this positive about his situation, she had to be brave as well.

After watching this Ted Talk, I looked for the ALS Association's webpage about the ice bucket challenge.  On this page, they have a video of Nancy & Pete's story which was great to supplement with the Ted Talk.  Here is a link to the site: http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Frates, N. (2014, October). Meet the mom who started the ice bucket challenge [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_frates_why_my_family_started_the_als_ice_bucket_challenge_the_rest_is_history#t-564856

Pictured above is Bill Gates doing the ice bucket challenge. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/15/bill-gates-als-ice-bucket-challenge_n_5682914.html

Huntington's Disease: Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was a musician who was diagnosed with Huntington's disease which affects both cognitive and motor abilities.  Woody struggled with erratic behavior and impulse control more and more as the disease progressed.  Some of his inappropriate/dangerous behaviors included shoving sawdust into his son's mouth and writing erotic letters to many women.  His motor skills also greatly affected his beloved occupation of singing and playing the guitar. It would be important to address this occupation early because that is what he loves to do the most.  What was interesting to me was that his mother likely had Huntington's as well, but she was never diagnosed with it.  Instead, she was institutionalized because medicine had not progressed that far during that time. Now there is a test to see if you have the gene that often leads to Huntington's.   

Main Take-Away from Foundations

Main Take-Away from Foundations

As obvious as it may seem, the most important thing I have gained from this course is understanding the OT Domain & Process in the OTPF.  Even though the document itself is long and kind of dry, it is an integral part in our profession.  Before this course, I did not know occupations were split up into categories of ADLs, iADLS, work, education, etc.  I thought occupations was just a blanket term to cover everything we do in life.  I also did not know that we place emphasis on client factors, performance patterns, context & environment, etc.  The domain of OT is definitely the most strange thing that become familiar to me in this course.  I knew there was an OT process before taking this course (and I had a rough idea of the components in it), but I learned that it is not as cut and dry as I had once thought.  In this case, the familiar became strange to me.  I thought evaluation, intervention, and outcomes were more simple than they actually are.  I did not know about occupational profiles, client interviews, adjustment of intervention, and so on. I'm glad I understand the OTPF now because it seemed very overwhelming to me when we were talking about it in our Evidence-Based Practice course.  Thank you for making it a lot less intimidating!

Rowdy Gaines and Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Rowdy Gains was a 3 time Olympic gold medalist who was diagnosed with GBS at the age of 31.  One of his interventions during this time was pool therapy, which is not an uncommon occupational therapy treatment.  I thought it was interesting that the OT could use an average therapeutic technique that also served as engagement in an integral occupation in his life.  What is truly impressive about Rowdy's case was that he qualified for the 1996 Olympics even after his diagnosis of GBS (and was the oldest person to qualify!)  Even though he did not end up performing in the 1996 Olympics, it goes to show that individuals with these life-altering neurological diseases can sometimes get to a place where they were before their dysfunction.

Foundations: Course Wrap-Up

Course Wrap-Up

I'm sad to say goodbye to our Foundations course.  Even though this was one of our longest courses we've had so far, it was without a doubt one of the most enjoyable.  Before entering this course, I had a basic idea of what occupational therapy really was. Now that we are finishing up this course, I feel so much more confident in my knowledge of the inner workings of this profession.  I do believe that this course would have been more beneficial to start at the very beginning of the year (as opposed to Evidence Based Practice, for example) because it gives us a good orientation as to what OT is all about.  This course has given me so much to look forward to in the future as a practicing occupational therapist. Thank you again for an awesome course.

Foundations: Fear of Explaining

Fear of Explaining

One of the obvious requirements for this program was the capacity to explain what the profession of occupational therapy is.  I remember in my entrance interview, I was asked "In your own words, how would you describe occupational therapy." I knew what I was going to say because I had practiced possible answers before my interview.  I responded with "Occupational therapy is a profession in which the therapist helps someone get to a best life possible.  This profession is truly unique to me because it applies to everyone across the lifespan: all the way from children with developmental disabilities to older adults who have had strokes."  This was an adequate response to the question because I had limited resources in which to obtain a perfect answer to the question.  
Now that I am in OT school, I feel a greater pressure to give a perfect elevator speech.  However, I have also gained better insight into exactly what OT is and all that it entails.  I do admit that I still get nervous when someone asks me what occupational therapy is.  I suppose that I am worried that I am going to mess it up somehow and do an injustice to the profession.  I believe this anxiety will become less of a problem as I progress in the curriculum (hopefully!)

Foundations: Therapeutic Use of Self

Therapeutic Use of Self in OT

Otherwise known as "the art of relating", therapeutic use of self is a concept that I knew about but did not have a term to describe it. I think this idea is at the very core of who we are as occupational therapists.  We can know intervention techniques and theories frontwards and backwards, but all of that really means nothing if we cannot relate to our clients.  A term that goes hand in hand with this idea is empathy.  For our clients to trust us, we must be able to put ourselves in their shoes.  If we cannot relate to our clients on a personal and emotional basis, what makes OT so unique? Wouldn't we be just like any other branch of medicine that simply sees them as a diagnosis?  I believe the very core of our distinct value of OT is the therapeutic use of self. I look forward to learning more and practicing this intervention technique in the future!

Ulla-Carin Lindquist and ALS

Ulla-Carin Lindquist

Ulla-Carin was a Sweedish news anchor and a journalist who was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 49.  Even though some people can live a longer life with this disease, she died within one year of her diagnosis. What was most interesting/surprising to me about Ulla-Carin's case was that she was an extremely active individual who participated in sports such as boating, skiing, horseback riding, and skating.  Even despite such a healthy condition before her diagnosis, she quickly lost her ability to do everyday activities. She had to focus on conserving her energy just to be able to get by in life. Her condition severely impacted her children, especially when Ulla-Carin lost the ability to speak. Ulla-Carin's family started a foundation when she passed away to support research on finding a cure for ALS. Her story and legacy has helped raise awareness about ALS in Sweden. 

Foundations: Burnout

Burnout

I have realized that burnout is not just something that happens with practicing occupational therapists; it occurs just as often (if not more) for occupational therapy students.  During gross anatomy, I did not experience burnout because that was basically the only course I was taking at the time and I had plenty of room to do things that I wanted to.  In one of the psychology courses I took in undergrad, I learned about the importance of self-care.  Practicing proper self-care means taking time out of a hectic schedule to do something for yourself: whether that be hanging out with friends, reading for pleasure, shopping, etc.  As my courses have loaded up in OT school, I have not had the opportunity to practice proper self-care and as a result, I am experiencing burnout. Also, I have noticed that I must make an effort to look beyond this material as something to study for an exam and see it for what it really is: my passion.  When I was studying for my neuro OCP test, I was looking at the different levels of lesion and functions associated (whilst being extremely stressed out).  I had to stop myself while I was studying and really think: I'm learning about levels of lesion...this kind of information changes people's entire lives.  I realized I needed to look at my coursework through a new lens and not allow my stress to interfere with my passion for occupational therapy.