Mental health is the primary cause of disability in the world. It can influence an individual’s ability to occupy in daily life activates but with the help from occupational therapy, individuals with mental health problems and traumatic brain injuries can develop the skills needed to live life to its fullest.
Even though a lot of researches assessed evidence for acute traumatic brain injury …show more content…
rehabilitation interventions used to enhance community integration relevant to occupational therapy, yet the role of occupational therapy in these effective programs is not well explored. We should care more about how we can help in exploring this field so that other people can also be interested in. In this essay, I will show why students should pursue a career in occupational therapy and also reasons which will make them succeed as occupational therapists.
“We’re needed in every field and in schools, rehab hospitals, mental health centers, nursing homes, work and industry,” according to Rachel Fontana, who is beginning her second and final year at the University of Southern California. The first thing that you will get from a career in occupational therapy is that you will be needed. You will explore occupational therapy practice areas for youth and children, health and wellness, mental health which consider the hardest, and disability and rehabilitation. You will view therapy in an assortment of settings, from small schools to the locked mental health hospital. Also you will see the patients as a whole, not just a diagnosis and will get them functional in all sides of their life at work, home, and within the society.
Considering dealing with patients, you will develop good communication traits and skills. Occupational therapists spend a decent amount of time listening to their patients and clarifying in-depth actions and situations. They must be able to speak and listen proficiently and confidently to doctors, co-workers and all other professionals on their staff. Also they must be able to clearly and efficiently record all that they do with their patients because their license can be called into question and suspended if they ever are called to attest and have not perfectly captured what happened with their patients under their care. They need to clearly state their goals, treatment plans and the patient’s progress to get paid for their efforts.
Talking about getting paid, you will enjoy good pay and opportunities. “Demand is high world wide,” according to Trigail, who is one of the heads at the American Occupational Therapy Association. Considering how hard occupational therapy is, therapists are properly compensated, and they receive a great return for their efforts. In 2013, the median salary for occupational therapists was $76,940 and the best paid was $109,380.
With this big amount of money, you will learn ways and skills that go beyond the workspace. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who have injuries, disabilities, or mental health problems. Some patients may have a bad day once in a while, while others are upset, angry, and frustrated all the time. Knowing how to keep a patient relaxed under stress is so important to helping your patient succeed. You will learn how to always think outside the box just to make your patient feel happier and calmer.
In order to make your patient feel happy and calm, you should also help them in solving their problems.
Occupational therapy will make you learn how to solve problems. Problem-solving skills are necessary in the occupational therapy field. Problems may be different from one patient to another, and some patient may have some difficult problems. Therapist must know how to solve each and every problem in order for them to succeed. They work with patient to help them solve their problems of living. Every second of the day they are consciously or unconsciously reacting to situations. These can be simple situations like how to lift something heavy or difficult situations like dealing with money. Therapists bring those way and strategies to awareness to address challenges for people with injuries and disabilities, and to prevent risk of …show more content…
failure.
Lifting patients from place to another is not fun and of course is not easy, but in this career you will learn how to enjoy helping others even if it is hard for you. Occupational therapy is all about helping others and nothing but helping others. They help them in all sides of their lives. For example, some patients need help learning how to balance their budget and mastering other money-management skills, while other patients may need help in learning how to regain movement in their fingers so they can button up a pants or a shirt. You will not do the task for the patient, instead you will inspire him to do it himself. If you do not enjoy and love helping others, you’re definitely not going to succeed in this field as an occupational therapist.
With helping others come patience.
Patience is something so important in this career that you will develop over time, it is the key for a successful occupational therapist. Many patients are stubborn, moody, frustrated, pessimistic, and even more suicidal. Some patients may have mental disorders which prevent them from doing simple work such as trying their shoes or brushing their teeth. Patients with mental health specially face lots of problems in keeping up with their therapist because these patients almost lost all the function of their brain; considering that, occupational therapist always patient with them because with no patience, these patients will go no where. It may take one patient a month to get into a full morning routine, while it may take years for another patient to get
it.