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Published on January 14, 2023

How to Cope With a Psychosocial Disability

It’s hard to have a mental health issue. Having this condition makes it hard to function normally. For instance, it’s easy to feel stressed about interacting with schoolmates, co-workers, or strangers if you have a social anxiety disorder. Issues can also occur when a person is depressed. For one, it can be easy to isolate oneself from hobbies and activities that once brought joy.

Mental health issues can also affect work life. Others are barred from employment because they’ve just received mental health treatment. For others, it can mean discrimination and bullying once the people around them become informed about their mental health status.

Because it affects a person psychologically and socially, many with a mental health problem suffer stigma and exclusion. Others have a false belief that people with mental health issues are dangerous and are there to cause harm. This is far from the truth, as most of the time, people with this health condition are the ones who suffer violence or self-harm.

If you have undergone the same experiences and are diagnosed with a mental health issue, you’re more likely to have a psychosocial disability (PSD).

What Is PSD?

PSD involves the social impacts of mental health issues and how it affects one’s daily life. People with PSD might have difficulty setting objectives, creating plans, and participating in education, employment, training, and other social and cultural activities.

PSD might also limit a person’s ability by making it:

  • Challenging to concentrate on crucial tasks
  • Hard to relate to others
  • Difficult to handle stress
  • Hard to manage time and multiple activities
  • Challenging to finish essential tasks with stamina
  • Difficult to be in specific environments

If you’re diagnosed with a mental health issue and have some difficulties like the ones above, it’s ideal to continue your treatment with your therapist or psychiatrist. You can also look at various NDIS services that offer psychosocial support or life skill development.  

Managing A Psychosocial Disability

Now that you’ve learned briefly what PSD is, here are some coping strategies you’d benefit from:

  • Know How To Manage Psychosocial Stress

There are two kinds of stress that a person can experience: physiological and psychosocial stress. Physiological stress often happens because of physical problems, like an injury. On the other hand, psychosocial stress happens because of certain social circumstances. Psychosocial stress occurs when you notice a perceived social threat (imagined or real) and recognize that you don’t have enough resources to handle it.

Here are two ways to manage psychosocial stress:

  • Improve Your Conflict Resolution Skills

Improving your conflict resolution skills is essential for any successful relationship, whether it be with a family member, friend, or colleague. Conflict resolution skills are the tools you use to manage disagreements and disputes constructively and positively. When you have strong conflict resolution skills, you’re better able to identify the underlying issues causing the conflict and work towards a satisfactory resolution for both parties. This can help prevent the conflict from escalating. 

  • Try Stress Management Strategies

Applying various stress management practices ensures you’ll be less reactive to psychosocial stressors. Examples of stress management strategies are: 

  • Practicing deep breathing
  • Taking time to exercise
  • Sharing your issues with a trusted individual
  • Getting proper sleep

Other strategies that you can do are practicing self-compassion, journaling, and taking time to meditate. Remember these coping strategies for managing psychosocial stress, as they help you build resilience.

  • Learn How To Focus Properly

If a person lacks focus, it can be challenging for some reasons. For one, it can affect performance at school and work. If this happens, it can alter how others see their capability in handling responsibilities. Likewise, a person might find it hard to decide well, as enough focus is required to come to proper conclusions.

Certain mental health conditions make it hard to focus. For instance, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) find it challenging to concentrate on a single activity in one period.

If you’re a person with PSD and want to know how to be more focused, here are some steps that you can take:

  • Have a structured routine throughout the day
  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine
  • Avoid sugary snacks and eat more fruits
  • Learn how to meditate

Overall, it’s still best to bring this issue to your therapist or psychiatrist for proper resolution.

  • Know How To Manage Time 

Having a mental health issue makes time management more challenging. If you have anxiety, then know that it can lead to pressure. Because of this, there’s a chance that you’ll have issues with meeting deadlines and required outputs. 

The same applies if you have depression. Having depression leads to numbness. Being numb desensitizes a person from the consequences of an urgent deadline, which leads to missing it.

As time management is crucial in work or school, here are two strategies for improving such a skill:

  • Apply the Pomodoro technique
  • Write down your to-do list

Remember these tips to handle time management issues effectively. Doing so can make you more productive at work or school.

Final Thoughts

If you have a mental health issue, you may find it hard to cope psychologically and socially. If this is your issue, then there’s a high chance that you have a PSD. PSD can badly affect your quality of life. For this reason, knowing how to cope with PSD is the right path forward.

There are plenty of tips for coping with PSD, such as the three examples above. Ultimately, applying these coping strategies ensures you remain resilient and have more sense of agency.


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