Authored by Richard Wanlass, PhD, this workbook is rooted in extensive clinical experience. Dr. Wanlass serves as Chief Psychologist and Clinical Professor in the University of California, Davis, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, bringing over three decades of experience helping individuals adapt to significant life changes. His background is particularly noteworthy; expertise in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) means his approach is forged in the direct context of physical limitations, injury, and the complex interplay between bodily health and psychological well-being. This perspective is distinct from general psychology, focusing specifically on helping people adjust psychologically to physical challenges like chronic pain. This unique positioning makes Dr. Wanlass exceptionally qualified to address the adaptation required by chronic pain sufferers who live at this very intersection.
The Core Philosophy: Adaptation, Not Just Cure
"Bouncing Back" operates on the understanding that while a complete cure for chronic pain might not always be possible, significant adaptation is. It moves beyond solely focusing on pain reduction to encompass broader goals: improving function, managing emotional distress, strengthening relationships, and finding meaning despite limitations. It uses a cognitive-behavioral framework, likely incorporating elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), emphasizing that how we think about and respond to pain dramatically impacts our experience.
Who is "Bouncing Back" For?
The subtitle clearly outlines the primary audience:
Individuals recovering from injuries: This could range from traumatic accidents (car crashes, falls) to sports injuries or surgical recovery.
People adapting to the effects of aging: Addressing mobility changes, energy shifts, sensory loss, or age-related health conditions.
Those living with chronic or acute illnesses: Covering conditions like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cancer, neurological conditions, and more.
Anyone experiencing chronic pain: Providing tools beyond just physical management to address the psychological impact of persistent pain.
Beyond these core groups, this workbook could also be beneficial for:
Caregivers: Gaining insight into the experiences of their loved ones and learning supportive strategies.
Therapists and Healthcare Professionals: As a supplementary tool to guide clients/patients through the adaptation process.
"Bouncing Back" operates on the premise that while we may not control the physical event (the injury, the illness), we can learn skills to manage our physical, psychological and emotional responses, ultimately influencing our quality of life and ability to adapt. It acknowledges that adaptation is an active process, not a passive event.
The workbook is structured to guide users through key stages and skill areas essential for psychological adjustment:
Understanding the Impact: The initial sections encourage users to acknowledge the reality of their situation and understand the multifaceted ways it affects their lives – physically, emotionally, socially, and vocationally. This often involves processing grief and loss related to former abilities or lifestyles. With exercises like the “Goals and Avoidance Behavior Worksheet”, “Activity Modification Worksheet”, “New Activities Worksheet”, and “Exercise Planning Worksheet”, readers are encouraged to make adaptations and create new routines that can be valuable in coping with chronic pain and improving one’s overall wellbeing.
Managing Emotional Responses: Physical challenges trigger a complex array of emotions – fear, anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, hopelessness. The workbook provides techniques, drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to identify, understand, and manage these difficult feelings without being overwhelmed by them. By completing worksheets like “Understanding Stress and Anxiety” and “Avoid Avoidance”, you can learn to adopt new thinking patterns that can literally change the way you view your own life. By learning how to respond constructively, these positive changes can be achieved and you can make plans to incorporate them into your day to day activities. By managing your emotions more effectively, you are laying the groundwork for lasting positive change.
Challenging Negative Thought Patterns: Injury and illness can breed negative self-talk and catastrophic thinking ("My life is over," "I'll never be happy again"). Wanlass guides users in identifying these unhelpful thoughts, evaluating their accuracy, and reframing them into more realistic and adaptive perspectives. The “Should Thoughts Worksheet” was extremely helpful in reframing my negative self-talk and my “shoulds”, which are harsh and detrimental to my self esteem, sense of worth, and overall well being.
Rebuilding Identity: Significant physical changes can shake one's sense of self. The workbook includes exercises to help individuals explore who they are beyond their physical limitations, focusing on existing strengths, values, and finding new sources of meaning and purpose.
Developing Coping Strategies: This is the heart of the "skills" aspect where there are practical techniques for:
Problem-Solving: Breaking down overwhelming challenges into manageable steps. Like having a poor memory. I found it really useful to have an extensive section on memory and strategies you can utilize to help with forgetfulness and brain fog.
Pacing Activities: Learning to manage energy levels to avoid the boom-bust cycle common with pain and fatigue.
Relaxation and Mindfulness: Techniques to calm the nervous system and manage stress.
Goal Setting: Establishing realistic, meaningful goals that align with current abilities and promote a sense of progress by breaking down bigger goals into smaller, attainable tasks.
Navigating Social and Relationship Changes: Physical limitations can impact social roles and relationships. This workbook addresses communication skills, asking for help, setting boundaries, and educating others about one's condition. Chronic pain can’t help but change relationships and this workbook provides practical tools to help minimize that impact.
Self-Advocacy: Empowering users to effectively communicate their needs and preferences within the healthcare system and their personal lives. This is so important. The other day I did a blog post on advocating for yourself when you have chronic pain, and communicating effectively is a learned skill, especially when your capacities are negatively impacted by chronic pain. You just don’t have the emotional bandwidth to do the advocating that is sometimes required to get help. Without enough bandwidth, it’s easy to give up.
Looking Forward: Cultivating hope and focusing on building a fulfilling life despite the challenges, emphasizing resilience and post-traumatic growth. This workbook is full of worksheets that help you adapt and build a better life for yourself. It can be done.
Strengths:
Action-Oriented: It's a workbook. The emphasis is on active participation through exercises, reflection prompts, and skill practice. This promotes deeper learning and integration than passive reading. It is also helpful to re-read previously done worksheets to reinforce their impact.
Structured Approach: The logical progression guides users step-by-step, making a daunting process feel more manageable.
Evidence-Based: Dr. Wanlass draws upon established principles of rehabilitation psychology and therapeutic modalities like CBT and ACT.
Empathetic Tone: This workbook adopts a compassionate and understanding voice, acknowledging the real difficulties users face.
Comprehensive: It addresses a wide range of psychological facets impacted by physical change.
Empowering: It shifts the focus from passive victimhood to active adaptation and skill-building.
Potential Considerations:
Requires Effort and Commitment: Users need to be willing to actively engage with the material and do the exercises for it to be effective.
Can Be Emotionally Challenging: Confronting loss, difficult emotions, and negative thoughts can be tough. Doing this work may bring up painful feelings initially.
Not a Replacement for Therapy: While an excellent tool, it's not a substitute for professional therapy, especially for individuals dealing with severe trauma, depression, or anxiety. It's often best used alongside professional support.
General Scope: While covering broad principles, it might not delve into the highly specific nuances of every single injury or illness type.
This workbook is ideal for individuals with chronic pain who:
Are ready to take an active role in their self-management.
Recognize the psychological component of their pain experience.
Are willing to practice exercises consistently.
Are looking for strategies beyond medication to improve function and quality of life.
While highly valuable as a self-help tool, some individuals might benefit from using it alongside guidance from a therapist, particularly when dealing with complex trauma or severe mental health comorbidities.
A Valuable Resource for Reclaiming Life
"Bouncing Back: Skills for Adaptation to Injury, Aging, Illness, and Pain" stands out as a highly practical and thoughtfully constructed resource. It directly addresses the often-overlooked psychological journey that accompanies significant physical challenges. By providing concrete skills, structured exercises, and an evidence-based framework, Dr. Wanlass offers readers a tangible pathway toward managing difficult emotions, rebuilding their sense of self, and cultivating resilience.
Chronic pain can feel like being adrift in a turbulent sea. "Bouncing Back" doesn't magically calm the waters, but it provides the reader with the skills and materials to build a more resilient raft. By diligently working through the exercises – understanding pain's complexity, practicing acceptance and mindfulness, challenging negative thoughts, modifying behaviors through pacing and goal-setting, improving communication, and planning for difficulties – readers can learn to navigate the waves, reduce their suffering, and reclaim a more functional and meaningful life. It's a journey of adaptation, and Wanlass's workbook serves as a valuable map and toolkit.
If you or someone you know is grappling with the life changes brought on by injury, aging, illness, or chronic pain, this workbook is a highly recommended tool. It requires work, yes, but it provides the structure and skills needed to navigate the emotional and mental hurdles, fostering adaptation and helping individuals not just cope, but truly "bounce back" towards a meaningful and fulfilling life within their new reality.