Community

Editor: Valorie Lennox 656-1151

TheReview Wednesday, November 4, 1992 — A15

Childhood strictures against
daydreaming were set aside for a
group of arthritis patients taking
the third session of the Arthritis
Society's Arthritis Management
program at the Sidney Silver
Threads Centre.

by Valorie Lennox
The Review

The words are spoken softly,
hypnotic in their power to create
enticing images.

Close your eyes...take a deep

breath...breathe out...allow all the -

muscles of your body to
sink...becoming deeply relaxed.

Imagine yourself on a country
road...you come to an old
gate...the gate creaks as you open
it and enter.

You are surrounded by an over-
grown garden..flowers growing
where they have seeded them-
Selves...vines climbing over a
fallen tree...green Srass, Shade
trees.

Smell the flowers. listen to the —

birds...
“IT was ig 0 gone into this flower
garden,” recalled Norma Jubb

after completing the above relaxa-

tion exercise.

Other course participants
reported similar reactions. “Every-
one seemed quite relaxed in the
room. It was good) very pleasant.”

Stress is one of the greatest
problems for arthritis patients,
who face daily frustration at disa-
bility combined with almost con-
stant pain. :

But stress must be reduced. Jubb

Says stress exacerbates the disease. —
“T noticed my arthritis really got

worse during a family crisis when
one of my adult children was very
ill,’ she said.

The guided imagery technique
introduced in the course is a
drug-free, easy method of reducing
stress.

“More people should be doing
this more of the time. It gives
people an opportunity to get into
another world — instead of look-
ing at soaps,” Jubb joked, playing
on the title of a long-running
afternoon soap opera.

She speculated one reason more
people do not use guided imagery

- is that the process is similar to the

daydreaming most were warmed
against as children.

“People are supposed to be
always busy and grounded in real-
ity,” she said.

A similar technique to guided

imagery is short-term mental dis-

traction. For example, if opening a
jar is painful but the jar must be
opened — the arthritis victim
briefly focuses on something else,
such as a pleasant memory or an
upcoming event.

LEE

LF

Later LEE Sct

GROWING A MENTAL
GARDEN relieves stress.

“Basically, it’s taking your mind

- Off the pain of arthritis by focusing

on something other than the
pain.”
Course participants also dis-

cussed other ways to alleviate:

stress — including changing fam-
ily expectations,

The general consensus was
“Mom can’t do everything now,”
Jubb said. “In a lot of cases, even
adult children still tend to think of
mom as super-woman.”’

Introducing the family to the
idea of shared responsibility
means delegating jobs, especially
over the Christmas season.

“Don’t stand there stirring a
pudding for 20 people if by the
time it is finished you’re in so
much pain you can’t eat it,” Jubb
suggested.

And while all agreed it was

important to do regular exercise,

they also agreed not to feel guilty
if circumstances forced a change
in their schedule.

Depression is a frequent side
effect of arthritis, caused by pain,
fatigue and resentment over the
lifestyle changes caused by the
disease.

“I want to go and climb that
mountain and I can’t do it today,”
Jubb summarized.

Some signs of depression are
difficulty concentrating, lack of
ambition, loneliness, confusion
and frustration, anxiety attacks,
appetite increase or decrease, low
self-esteem, changes in sleep pat-

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Arthritis CounterAtlack: Dream away stress

terms and suicidal thoughts.

To combat depression, course
participants were advised to con-
sult their doctor, keep up their
Tegular activities, get rest and exer-
cise, get out of the house daily
and, if possible, help someone
else.

“There is always someone who
needs help,” Jubb said, adding that
helping another person is a tre-
mendous boost to self-esteem.

Keeping intriguing activities
around the home — cards, jigsaw
puzzles, crafts — can help. Pets
combat loneliness.

“Pets are a tremendous upper
for people, especially sick peo-
ple,” Jubb said: Her own mena-
gerie includes three dogs but she
feels even a bird or an aquarium
can be an asset.

The arthritis management pro-
gram is proving to be another
asset, Jubb said.

Participants are reporting their
Successes with regular exercises
and relief obtained through
Stretching exercises.

They are also enjoying learning
new coping and relaxation skills.

“Everyone has pointed out that,
to some degree, the quality of their
life has improved,” Jubb said.

- Continued on Noy. 11

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