[Blindtlk] 10 natural ways to relieve stress

Ray Foret Jr rforetjr at att.net
Tue Mar 5 14:29:51 UTC 2013


Well, when I spent a brief time at Lion's World in Arkansas, they had a psychologist on staff.  It was absolutely mandatory for every single blind person to see this on-staff psychiatrist whether you felt it was necessary or not.  Another thing you had to put up with was what they called "group therapy".  Needless to say, I was not impressed with their set up at all.


Sent from my mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built in!
Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray
Still a very proud and happy Mac and Iphone user!

On Mar 5, 2013, at 8:19 AM, Jess <ashleejessandmark2012 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Julie,
> I know when I through an adjustment to blindness trainning program when I lived in Salt Lake City Utah 12 years the Division of Services the Blind where the trainming was held had a certifed psychologist on their staff. I went through the training during 9 11 of 2001. The trainning program is run by a fellow federationist now I believe.
> Jess
> 
> Sent from Samsung mobile
> 
> "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:
> 
>> Peter,
>> 
>> I had no idea that some of the rehabilitation services have 
>> psychologists on staff.  Honestly I am quite shocked.  I've only 
>> attended or have experience with services here in Nebraska.  There is no 
>> psychologist on staff anywhere in our agency for the blind.  Of course 
>> some folks utilize the services of a good therapist, but there is 
>> absolutely no assumption that *all* of the clients will need such services.
>> 
>> I've been through counseling myself, when I was going through my 
>> divorce.  I found it very helpful.  I'm grateful it was available to me 
>> through my insurance provider. It kept me sane and out of prison. *smile*
>> 
>> I don't think it's accurate to assume that all blind people will need 
>> counseling though.  Lots of people are telling you that blindness isn't 
>> a stressful or traumatic experience for them.  I'm sure for some it is 
>> though.  I agree with you there, especially for the people who became 
>> blind during a traumatic event.  I think also that sometimes the various 
>> life issues we face become all mingled together, making it difficult to 
>> know which circumstance is the cause of what feelings.
>> 
>> I'm glad you are finding yoga helpful.   What are you using to learn the 
>> techniques?  or did you already know them?  I live in a really small 
>> town and there is no yoga class here.  I'd be very interested in audio 
>> programs you have found helpful or websites or whatever.
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> Julie
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/4/2013 9:58 PM, Peter Wolfe wrote:
>>>     I'm sorry the perseption isn't the reality especially in any and
>>> all given circumstances. There are people who become blind who live
>>> with side ailments of their blindness that you don't have to deal
>>> with. For example, I have a friend who had his face blown off with a
>>> shot gun who deals with no doubtt nerve damage just an example of
>>> stress. I'd also say many other veterns comigng from battle fields
>>> abroad undergo great deals of stress. Other blind people have other
>>> disabilities that intermingle with their blindness that causes stress
>>> and many of them use chemicals to attempt to balance this process but
>>> cannot fully manage it either.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     I don't think its simply your attitude cause its the nature of the
>>> times of being stressful cause the world is changing. This isn't
>>> merely a philosophy of mine cause right now that I'm not stressed for
>>> now at all. I just did a yoga practice and feel freakin wonderful just
>>> that I'm receptive  towards other blind people in individual
>>> counseling and all. I do believe certain things whether
>>> transportation, changing economics or welfare reform would put many on
>>> the streesser because of more limited options being blind. All of this
>>> results from blindness that cannot be rid of. Mr Jernigan is wrong
>>> like NFB is wrong with not wanting accessible tactical currency that
>>> is simply ridiculous and counerproductive as Mike states. When other
>>> advanced countries have it, yet the U.S the greatest nation on Earth
>>> doesn't that is stressful especially in adverse situations like once I
>>> had someone steal my money. So, not all of the time will techniques
>>> nor adaptive technology will work especially in a pinch that is
>>> extremely stressful so I disagree in trama situations. Lastly, its
>>> funny seeing how you guys don't think negative stress doesn't occur
>>> because all blind institutions that I've attended have psychologists
>>> whether E.H Gentry Technical Facility in Talladega, Lion's World
>>> Training Center or Vocational Rehabilitation as a whole can have
>>> psychological aptitude tests as well.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> sincerely realistic,
>>> Peter
>>> 
>>> On 3/4/13, Marion Gwizdala<blind411 at verizon.net>  wrote:
>>>>     As a professional in the field of health&  wellness, I would like to add
>>>> 
>>>> my support to Mike's comments about blindness being a major stressor. One of
>>>> 
>>>> my fields of expertise is in stress management, teaching seminars to
>>>> employees of large corporations. The truth about stress is that it is the
>>>> result of our interaction with the environment; it cannot be eliminated,
>>>> only managed. Stress is fundamentally the reaction to our perception of a
>>>> circumstance. It is neither positive or negative except that thinking makes
>>>> 
>>>> it so. Two people can experience the exact same event and have very
>>>> different reactions.
>>>>     blindness, in and of itself, is not a distressor - the term for negative
>>>> 
>>>> stress. In fact, for me, it is generally a neutral stressor.There are times,
>>>> 
>>>> though, that it is a positive stressor, motivating me to work harder to
>>>> accomplish a thing just because some believe I cannot do so as a blind
>>>> person. Then there are those times blindness is a distressor, such as when I
>>>> 
>>>> feel frustrated with a website that is inaccessible.
>>>>     I agree with Mike's comment about lessening the distressful
>>>> circumstances in our lives by obtaining good blindness skills training and
>>>> making use of effective blindness tools. The positive philosophy embodied in
>>>> 
>>>> the NFB and so elucidated in the speech Mike mentioned is well worth the
>>>> read on a regular basis. It is what I refer to as "organic" writing. The
>>>> more you read it the more it grows in your consciousness!
>>>> 
>>>> Fraternally yours,
>>>> Marion Gwizdala, M.S.
>>>> Kairos Health&  Wellness Center
>>>> www.KairosHWC.com
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Mike Freeman"<k7uij at panix.com>
>>>> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'"<blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 6:20 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] 10 natural ways to relieve stress
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> I've been staying out of this thread, believing that it is basically
>>>>> counterproductive. However, the mistake I surmise Peter is making is to
>>>>> single out blindness as a particular egregious stress-provoker. It is
>>>>> not.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Of course, some folks may find it so; the point is that some of us do not
>>>>> find it so, especially if we've had good blindness training and have
>>>>> opportunities to put our skills and attitudes to work.
>>>>> 
>>>>> We might all find it profitable to reread Dr. jernigan's speech:
>>>>> "Blindness:
>>>>> Handicap or Characteristic".
>>>>> 
>>>>> Cheers!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Mike Freeman
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris
>>>>> Nusbaum
>>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 3:04 PM
>>>>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] 10 natural ways to relieve stress
>>>>> 
>>>>> Julie,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Very well said! Thank you for these wonderful thoughts!
>>>>> 
>>>>> Chris
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Julie J."<julielj at neb.rr.com
>>>>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List<blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Date sent: Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:26:34 -0600
>>>>> Subject: [Blindtlk] 10 natural ways to relieve stress
>>>>> 
>>>>> Peter,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I never said I was speaking for all blind people everywhere.  I
>>>>> said
>>>>> that stress, unhappiness and unemployment were not *my* current
>>>>> experience.  I understand that lots of blind people don't have
>>>>> jobs and
>>>>> are generally unhappy with their life situation.  And I have no
>>>>> problem
>>>>> with the words happy or unhappy.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I have been there too.  I had no job for a long time.  I've been
>>>>> homeless, if only for a few days.  I've eaten my fair share of
>>>>> Ramen
>>>>> noodles.   I've wondered how I was going to scrape together
>>>>> enough money
>>>>> to pay the bills, month after month after month.  However I
>>>>> always kept
>>>>> the mindset that the situation at hand was temporary.  You can be
>>>>> in an
>>>>> awful situation and still have hope.  Sometimes that's all there
>>>>> is.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I'm not quite as old as you think.  I'll be 40 this year.  I
>>>>> don't know
>>>>> that families were all that much different when I was a kid.  I
>>>>> grew up
>>>>> in a mostly African American, poor area though.  BTW I am white.
>>>>> I
>>>>> guess maybe growing up being the different kid allowed me to get
>>>>> real
>>>>> comfortable with being different and being okay with that.  Who
>>>>> knows?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Now, I work with young people with their first contact with the
>>>>> criminal
>>>>> justice system.  I see all sorts of different family groupings.
>>>>> Some of
>>>>> them work and are healthy and some of them are not a good place
>>>>> for
>>>>> kids.  I don't see a strong correlation between a man and woman
>>>>> who have
>>>>> been married for a long time with only their own kids in the home
>>>>> and
>>>>> stability.  I have a single Dad raising five kids that I think
>>>>> should
>>>>> get parent of the year.  I have another youth who lives with her
>>>>> Aunt
>>>>> and Uncle and it is one of the most positive respectful families.
>>>>> Some
>>>>> of the traditional families are good too.  I'm just saying that
>>>>> family
>>>>> comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes and I think it always has.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Perhaps what I am saying is that yes, bad stuff happens in the
>>>>> world.
>>>>> We all know that and can agree that blind people get more than
>>>>> our fair
>>>>> share of hardships.   I feel like I have a choice though.  I can
>>>>> choose
>>>>> to feel stressed and hopeless because the odds are that I won't
>>>>> have a
>>>>> job or I can choose to put all my effort in to finding a job or
>>>>> starting
>>>>> my own business.  No, it isn't easy and it won't happen
>>>>> overnight, but
>>>>> if I believe that it can happen for me, I have just dramatically
>>>>> increased the odds that it will.  "Whether you believe you can or
>>>>> you
>>>>> can't, either way you're right."A quote from the founder of the
>>>>> Ford
>>>>> motor company.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Blindness can be hard, very hard at times.  I choose to look at
>>>>> it as an
>>>>> opportunity though.  I feel like I have made many of the life
>>>>> choices I
>>>>> have because of my blindness, not despite it.  I have a strong
>>>>> need to
>>>>> challenge myself to learn new things and have new experiences.
>>>>> Blindness has made that easy.
>>>>> 
>>>>> This summer I am going survival camping.  I am going to learn
>>>>> stuff like
>>>>> how to make a fire with no matches, how to make rope, how to find
>>>>> drinking water and  how to make a shelter in the woods.   I am so
>>>>> excited for this opportunity!  It will be a challenge and I'll
>>>>> have to
>>>>> figure out many adaptations because of my blindness.   It's like
>>>>> a
>>>>> puzzle for me.  I love to figure out how I can accomplish the
>>>>> task.
>>>>> Occasionally I come across something that I can't do, but more
>>>>> often I
>>>>> surprise myself.  It also helps a lot to have wonderful email
>>>>> lists and
>>>>> other blind people willing to talk to me about similar things
>>>>> they have
>>>>> done.  I can build on what has already been discovered without
>>>>> reinventing the wheel.  *smile*
>>>>> 
>>>>> What are your goals? Your dreams?  If you knew you couldn't fail
>>>>> what
>>>>> would you do?  Let us help you figure out how to get there.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Julie
>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
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>>>> 
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>>> 
>> 
>> 
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