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Success Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
Anxiety is defined as distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune. For many, this is easily hidden. For others, it is worn for all to see and to witness. Some people show their anxiety by hiding it internally, avoiding anything that triggers them. Others have no real understanding on what will help them, which causes them to attempt to express it. Sometimes, this comes in the form of interfering behaviors that may be difficult for the person to control. For someone like Deb Carlson, this is the case.
Deb Carlson began working at Functional Industries in 1995. Over her time here, her anxiety limited her to specific tasks, areas and routines. While in attendance during a partial 3-day week, Debbie would arrive, work only on one job (pin packs) in a very specific room of the building and have lunch at exactly the same time every day. Debbie had the same staff at home and the same staff pick her up from work each day. Even with this consistency, Debbie spent a minimum of 30 minutes each day working her way through getting out of the building to go home. If anything or anyone would disrupt her day, one would see Debbie’s anxiety and uneasiness rise resulting in throwing objects, yelling, swearing or potentially striking out at those around her.
Over the last two years, Debbie has had several changes that have disrupted her life in many different ways. Debbie moved homes multiple times in a short period, had numerous different and new staff and began working a full week after having a partial week for several years. With all of these changes to someone with so much routine and anxiety, everyone expected a large shift in Debbie’s coping behaviors.
Debbie soon showed everyone that these changes were exactly what she needed. Slowly, Debbie began displaying fewer interfering behaviors. From there, she became willing to leave the building and go 1:1 in the community with a staff. Debbie, at first, did not want to leave the van, but she was out of the building. This was a step that she hadn’t taken in over 12 years! Slowly her comfort level began to increase. She became more willing to go out into the community with staff, even getting out of the van at her destinations! On one occasion, she walked into McDonalds and proclaimed, “I RUN THIS TOWN!” followed by a loud outburst of laughter. The biggest step that Debbie took was to ride in a bus, filled with other people, to go to a park. On each of these outings, Debbie interacted with community members. Once, she saw a man with a beard and exclaimed, “Alabama!” as he reminded her of someone in the band. She giggled and whistled at the man.
Debbie was making strides that staff did not think possible. She was demonstrating her comfort level and even anxiety couldn’t keep her from doing the things she wanted to be doing. Debbie’s transition times began shortening. She soon was only taking five minutes to leave, as opposed to thirty. She began telling jokes and laughing more than anyone had heard in quite some time. Debbie’s overall willingness to interact with staff and her peers had tremendously increased. Staff even have had the pleasure of assisting Debbie in completing new jobs that she hasn’t completed in years! She has willingly walked into the Production Room which has always been too loud for her to handle and has completed more pieces than ever expected.
Debbie still has her days, some are a little harder than others, but so does everyone! Debbie has managed to work with her staff and trust them enough to move from day to day and branch out on her willingness and comfort level for new and different tasks. Debbie’s anxiety is still present in her day-to-day life and she requires a good deal of patience from her staff to help her work through it. However, Debbie is able to work each day, smile and be comfortable with who she is and the environment that she is in and that is an amazing feat!