Have you experienced Occupational Therapy treatment?

[Rosie_Moo_]

Hi all,

I am an Occupational Therapy Student, and am just wondering about anyone's experiences with Occupational Therapy in assisting with certain mental health conditions and difficulties. If so, I'd love to hear about what you did with them, and not only your positive experiences but any negative experiences as well to assist myself in gaining knowledge on how to approach this area of practice to ensure optimal outcomes.

 Thanks,

Amy

[white knight]

Hi Rosie Moo.

Of yeh, it was 1988. I was 33yo and had a background in local laws, prison officer, RAAF etc. My uniformed life had never been compromised. I had never felt corruption.  This was pre medication. I sought help for mental issues in 2003.

Then my world came crashing down. I was told not to issue parking fines to a local politician who decided he was above the laws others including pensioners and unemployed, had to face. I refused. Kept issuing fines. Then during an arguement with my boss I felt heavy chest pains and shortness of breath. I was off work for an unknown period of time.

During the next 10 months I saw a OT weekly. Here is what I recall from those visits-

1/ Meditation, how to contract and relax all o my body's muscles

2/ Accept that my actions were correct and righteous HOWEVER being of black and white attitude to a fixated point does not work well in a world of grey fluid views. I needed to introduce more grey in my world.

3/ Accept that I could have challenged the problem in other way.

4/ That my health and the well being of my family was paramount. Then comes other stuff.

5/ That my values dont mean others share them

6/ That some jobs include judgements and one might not be compatible.

There are other things but I dont recall them ATM. He had a profound effect on my life. And after 10 months I got another job.  I was proud but really my stand wasnt worth what I went through. 15 years later I'd be diagnosed with depression, bipolar 2, anxiety and dysthymia. My anxiety however has almost gone away.

I follow Maharaji Prem Rawat for relaxation especially his youtube clips. ("Sunset" is my fav).

Hope this helps

[geoff]

dear Rosie Moo, I love your username, because the dog I am holding is called Moo-Moo as her nickname, and every time I speak to my 3 yr old grand daughter Moo-Moo recognises her voice and barks like crazy, because they gave her to me after my 18 yr old had to be put down, which was my worst nightmare, sorry a little digression.

After my head injury in a pub where my wife ( ex ) had temporarily left me, my wage was cut down by the 7 bosses I had, so I had a disagreement with them, firstly they believed that I wasn't capable of running the pub and the extensive list of employees, which I knew myself, but it was a real esteem issue, and to be told was actually devastating, because to be told that you have failed is never pleasant to hear.

How did I cope with this, I had to then get my best employees to help me, so I relied on what they said and take it on board, because these few people I totally trusted, but long and short of this is that I was sacked, and as we lived on the premises of the pub I had to buy a house, which my wife had no decision because she wasn't there.

This isn't an answer that you were probably after, sorry. L Geoff. x