Whitney OT425

I’m from Sevierville, TN which is around a 7-hour drive from Memphis. To keep myself from falling asleep or thinking the drive is never going to end, I download podcasts to listen to. I’ve listened to both seasons of Serial not stop. I was hooked. Unfortunately, there were only two seasons available last time I went home. So, I decided to download some of the NPR TED talk radio hours. One of the radio hours that stuck with me was one titled, “How Do Stereotypes of Mental Health Affect Us”. Alix Generous, the guest speaker, has Asperger’s and had a troubling childhood with bullying and stereotyping.   “.. it pin-holed me to that specific feeling that something's wrong with me because people are treating me this way.” At 8 years old Alix was misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. She became depressed. Finally, at the age 18, Alix was transferred to a treatment center where she received the treatment that she finally deserved. From there she went on to do amazing things. One of those...

“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” This is how the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health. In professor Flick’s lecture, she discussed the importance in health promotion in maximizing physical, mental and social well-being. Occupational therapists have a major role in health promotion. Because being able to participate in your occupations brings balance to your life, your health is being maximized. Prevention is the basis of health promotion. I think that pretty much makes occupational therapists responsible for promoting health to prevent illness and disease. I took a health promotion class in undergraduate school and had the opportunity to put it into practice. I interned at a local non-profit organization that advocated for the underserved in the Chattanooga area. The organization worked with individuals directly in helping them find jobs, manage their money, and other thing...

As time and technology continue to advance, people with and without disabilities are living longer, making universal design increasingly important. Universal design involves making products and environments accessible for all people.   The theory is intriguing to me because so many people can be involved from design, construction, advocacy, etc.   Occupational therapists even have a role with universal design in helping to make a client’s physical environment accessible for their occupations to be carried out. Over the past year, my grandfather’s health has been decreasing. He was always the type to be on the go. He woke up early and hit the roads. He is now between a walker and a wheel chair having a difficult time moving around his home. I hope to one day, as an occupational therapist, be able to help make adjustments and designs for environments for my clients who are like my grandfather.