Building resilience

Erin Garde

So, you’ve got hydrocephalus? Perhaps you’ve had it since birth, or maybe you’ve just been told you’ve got it. Momentous, change your life forever, kind of thing. How did you feel when you found out the management of hydrocephalus is brain surgery? Do you remember how you felt when you found out you needed another surgery? Or when you were worried that there was something wrong with your shunt? How did you feel when you were recovering from your latest surgery to manage your hydrocephalus? How did you pick yourself up and live your best life?

Resilience, that’s how.

What is resilience anyway, and what’s it got to do with me?

Resilience can be thought of as someone’s ability to cope and “bounce back” after experiencing significant challenges or stress (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). Like having brain surgery to manage your hydrocephalus, for example. See where we’re going with this?

When people build a strong sense of resilience, they are better able to cope with challenges and stress and bounce back after having a difficult time (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). Like a rubber band, a strong sense of resilience allows people to “snap back”, pick themselves up and return to living a life and having relationships they find rewarding, motivating and satisfying (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010).

When a person’s sense of resilience is not as strong or is depleted, it can sometimes be more difficult for them to recover psychologically when they experience challenges, like brain surgery. When this happens, it can mean it takes them longer to recover emotionally and start living life the way they want to again (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010).

What resilience is not

Sometimes people see having resilience as an all or nothing kind of thing- that is, you either have it, or you don’t.

But resilience actually builds on a continuum, or sliding scale if you like- see below (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010).

People can move up and down the continuum throughout their life after experiencing different things (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). For example, when someone experiences difficulties or stress with little support around them, their “resting” level of resilience can move down the continuum towards the lower side (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). They still have some resilience left in the tank, but over time this can get less and less until eventually, their “store” of resilience is very low and stressful events can overwhelm them.

If, on the other hand, someone is well supported during stressful times and already has a strong sense of resilience, they can remain where they are on the continuum and bounce back faster when they do encounter challenges (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). For our hydro community, a strong sense of resilience can mean faster recovery from surgery and setbacks, allowing our warriors to get back their quality of life and live their best lives.

Finally, a “lack” of resilience should not be used to pressure people to accept poor behaviour from others, or to blame someone for having a normal reaction to stressful events. Have you ever experienced, or witnessed someone saying “that’s just the way things are now, you’ll just have to learn to be more resilient,” when they have behaved poorly towards someone else? How did that make you feel? Remember: People need to be supported and nurtured to build a strong sense of resilience. It does not develop in a vacuum, and it is not something that happens automatically (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010).

Ok, resilience sounds great! How do I get some?

Here’s where there’s good news- because a strong sense of resilience has been associated with so many benefits for mental health and wellbeing, there are a lot of evidence-based tips you can use to build up your own sense of resilience to support you in challenging times. We’ve made a list!

Tip #1: Plan, plan, plan

Our community knows very well that hydrocephalus is a chronic condition and the only management long-term involves brain surgery. While it is almost impossible to predict exactly when a shunt or ETV might need revision, it might be useful to develop a personalised plan you can use when something does go wrong. For example, who can you call on for support? How will you get to the hospital? Where do you store key documents, like previous scans and health insurance information? How do you get in contact with your neurosurgeon? Who will call your work, water your plants, look after your pets and collect your mail? Some people find it useful to write it all down in one place and make copies for the people who will help you.

Having a well developed plan that you review regularly can make you feel more confident and in control and less anxious when things go wrong (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). This in turn can strengthen your sense of resilience, because you don’t have to worry about the small things or logistics and can concentrate on recovery.

Tip #2: Find your village

It’s long been said that it takes a village to raise a child- well, it also takes a village to support a hydro warrior! Indeed, it has long been shown that people who surround themselves with people who build them up and provide the support they need are more resilient to the challenges life throws at them (Pahwa & Khan, 2022; Reich, Zautra & Hall, 2010). We’re not saying to cut people out of your life entirely; more like to be mindful about the people you surround yourself with, or ask for help from, during stressful times. Positive social and emotional connections are very important to build up your sense of resilience, so now might be a great time to do a stocktake of the people you can ask and the places you can go to for support. Do you have enough people who build you up to call upon when you need too? If not, where could you look to find more? Here’s a hint: the HSA is a perfect place to look for support from like-minded people who understand what you might be going through.

Knowing you have people you can count on and turn to when you need it most is one of the most important things you can do to strengthen your sense of resilience for when things get tough.

Tip #3: Ask for help

Did you know that even without living with chronic medical conditions like hydrocephalus, 44% of Australian adults experience difficulties with their mental health in their lifetime (ABS, 2022)? That’s 2 in 5 people. We think this shows that everybody needs some help sometimes, and that includes consulting with mental health practitioners when required. Sometimes people in our hydro community experience so many stressful situations and challenges that their ability to cope is overwhelmed and their store of resilience needs building back up again. One of the best ways to do this is to develop a relationship with a trained mental health practitioner, such as a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist. They can help build you back up again, develop coping strategies and debrief from traumatic events you may have experienced. All of these things build your resilience back up again, hopefully to a point where you can bounce back easier next time something stressful happens.

Not sure where to find a mental health practitioner? Start with your GP, or jump online and browse the Australian Psychological Society’s Find a Psychologist service (https://psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist).

Tip #4: Healthy body, resilient mind

Ha! So you thought you’d get this without reading about the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise? Sorry about that… Look, everyone already knows how important it is to eat good food and to move that body the best you can for your health, right? Well, the same goes for strengthening your store of resilience. Put yourself in the best position possible to boost your health and resilience by making simple changes such as eating at least 5 serves of fruit and vegetables, lean sources of protein and good fats; drinking plenty of water; and regularly moving your body as best you can doing an activity you love (or at least don’t hate . That’s it, we’re not your mother!

References

ABS. (2022). National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release
Pahwa, S., & Khan, N. (2022). Factors affecting emotional resilience in adults. Management and Labour Studies, 47(2), 216-232. https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042X211072935
Reich, J. W., Zautra, A. J., & Hall, J. S. (2010). Handbook of Adult Resilience. Guilford Publications.

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