Bouncing Back: Skills for Adaptation to Injury, Aging, Illness, and Pain

Decline in our physical and mental abilities may be due to injury, illness, or chronic pain, or may simply be the results of normal aging. Sometimes changes in ability are gradual enough and minor enough that we adapt to them effortlessly. In other circumstances, however, these ability changes are more abrupt or more pronounced and pose a real challenge to our coping resources. In Bouncing Back: Skills for Adaptation to Injury, Aging, Illness and Pain, Richard Wanlass shares new research findings and observations of what he has learned in his thirty-five years of helping others adapt to these changes.Bouncing Back presents seven modules associated with changes in ability, including self-management, mood regulation, stress and anxiety management, anger and frustration management, relationship management, memory management, and pain management. Exercises follow almost every section to ensure concepts are understood and practiced. These developed tools provide new resilience skills and strategies to become better at change. They address the specific challenges of the broad and growing population of those learning to adapt to their loss of ability, and should be of aid for the public and for rehabilitation psychologists and neuropsychologists in their practice.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: Self-Management: Changing Behavior and Thoughts Goals and Avoidance Behavior Worksheet Adaptive Thinking Worksheet Chapter 2: Mood Regulation Improving Mood through Changing Behavior Increase Enjoyable Activities and Social Interactions Activity Modification Worksheet New Activities Worksheet Exercise Exercise Planning Worksheet Consult Your Healthcare Providers about Mood, Health, Nutrition, and Medication Mood, Health, Nutrition, and Medication Worksheet Perform Acts of Kindness Acts of Kindness Planning Worksheet Change Your Environment Environment Change Worksheet Smile and Laugh Smiling and Laughing Worksheet Improving Mood through Changing Thoughts Practice Self-Acceptance Self-Acceptance Worksheet Focus on the Positive Positive Focus Worksheet: Own Past Actions Positive Focus Worksheet: Others' Past Actions Positive Focus Worksheet: Present Situation Positive Focus Worksheet: The Future Practice Gratitude Gratitude Worksheet Update Your Identity and Purpose Values, Identity, and Purpose Worksheet Conclusions Chapter 3: Stress and Anxiety Management Understanding Stress and Anxiety What Are Stress and Anxiety? How to Recognize Stress Understanding Stress and Anxiety Worksheet Reducing Stress, Anxiety, and Tension Use Your Body to Relax Use Your Body to Relax Worksheet Use Your Mind to Relax Use Your Mind to Relax Worksheet Prioritize and Subdivide Goals Prioritize and Subdivide Goals Worksheet Choose When and How to Worry Choose When and How to Worry Worksheet Put the Situation into Perspective Put the Situation into Perspective Worksheet Avoid Avoidance Avoid Avoidance Worksheet Chapter 4: Anger and Frustration Management Time-Out Time-Out Worksheet More Realistic Thinking "Should Thoughts" Worksheet Assertive Communication Assertiveness Worksheet for Reducing Aggressive Communication Assertiveness Worksheet for Reducing Passive Communication Self-Care Self-Care Planning Worksheet Relaxation Relaxation Worksheet Humor Humor Worksheet Forgiveness Forgiveness Worksheet for Anger at Persons in your Past Forgiveness Worksheet for Anger at Persons in your Present Acknowledgment of Underlying Feelings Worksheet for Understanding and Expressing Feelings Underlying Anger Chapter 5: Relationship Management Increasing Cooperation Communication Skills for Increasing Cooperation Worksheet Building Social Connections Social Connection Planning Worksheet Making People Feel Liked, Listened to, and Appreciated Chapter 6: Memory Management Remembering Future Events, Appointments, and Obligations Remembering Future Events, Appointments, and Obligations Worksheet Remembering Names When Meeting People Remembering Names When Meeting People Worksheet Remembering What You Read Remembering What You Read Worksheet Remembering Where You Place Belongings Remembering Where You Place Belongings Worksheet Remembering to Take Medications Remembering to Take Medications Worksheet Remembering Jokes, Interesting Facts, and New Words Remembering Jokes, Interesting Facts, and New Words Worksheet Remembering What You Do and Talk About Memory Reinforcement Log Remembering What You Do and Talk About Worksheet Remembering Addresses and Directions Remembering Addresses and Directions Worksheet Remembering Shopping Lists and To-Do Lists The Roman Room Memory Technique Remembering Shopping Lists and To-Do Lists Worksheet Conclusions Chapter 7: Pain Management Activity Pacing Activity Pacing Worksheet Mood Improvement Mood Improvement Worksheet Movement Movement Worksheet Relaxation Relaxation Planning Worksheet Sleep Improvement Create a Proper Sleeping Environment Be Smart about Foods, Beverages, and Medicines Relax and Unwind Before Bed Relax While in Bed Limit Your Time in Bed Sleep Improvement Worksheet Focus Shifting Focus Shifting Worksheet Pain Behavior Reduction Pain Behavior Reduction Worksheet Physical Pain Management Strategies Physical Pain Management Strategies Worksheet Appropriate Use of Medications Appropriate Use of Medications Worksheet Expression of Emotions Emotional Expression Worksheet Socialization and Recreation Socialization and Recreation Worksheet Adaptive Thinking Adaptive Thinking Worksheet Conclusions Epilogue Index

About the Author :
Richard Wanlass is a healthcare professional who has devoted his career to helping his clients make the same types of adaptations taught in this book. Since 1987, he has served as Chief of Psychological, Social and Vocational Services in the University of California, Davis, Medical Center's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where he also holds the title of Clinical Professor.

Review :
"A must-read for individuals adapting to any change in functioning due to injury, aging, illness, or pain and a valuable resource for clinicians...What makes this book stand out is the easily understandable step-by-step guide to changing behaviors that are obstacles to coping with loss of ability." -- Kathleen S. Brown, PhD, Past-President, APA Division of Rehabilitation Psychology "Dr. Wanlass does a superb job of integrating his decades of clinical experience with scientific data to create a powerful and user-friendly guide. A must-read for anyone attempting to navigate the inevitable changes in health and wellness that accompany us in our journey through life." -- Ravi Prasad, PhD, Director, Stanford Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Pain Program "Each chapter is peppered with creative exercises that are readily accessible. I especially loved Wanlass's empathy intermixed with humor that makes the examples come alive...I look forward to recommending this workbook to my patients." -- Ronald Ruff, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist & Rehabilitation Psychologist, Past-President, National Academy of Neuropsychology and author of Effective Psychotherapy for Individuals with Brain Injury "A much-needed, powerful, user-friendly guide...Provides straightforward strategies...to help patients and families adapt and even thrive in the face of major life-changing challenges." -- Gregory T. Carter, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer, St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute "This is a great book that will be of wide valueDLI can't imagine anyone who wouldn't benefit from part of it!" -- Scott M. Fishman, MD, Chief, Division of Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, and author of The War on Pain and Listening to Pain "Bouncing Back has been an essential component of my group therapy sessions for patients coping with pain and other chronic health conditions. This comprehensive handbook is written in a down-to-earth, easy-to-read format and has helped many of my patients move towards successful adaptation." -- Karen Freed, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist, St. Cloud Hospital "An encouraging 'must-have' book, which will inspire empowerment and tenacity, as well as assist in optimizing quality of life." -- Patricia L. Bach, PsyD, RN, Past-President, Psychologists in Long Term Care "Heartily recommended." -- Michael Dunn, PhD, Retired Rehabilitation Psychologist, VA Palo Alto Health Care System Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Center