Viewing Volume 6 Issue 4 Winter 2003
Social Support
abridged article from 'Social Support - A Reflection of Humanity'
The Latin root of the word “support” implies “to carry from below”. The meaning is clear when we refer to physical support as in “the desk supports my weight” or “the roof is supported by the beams in the ceiling”. However, the idea of being carried from below is good analogically for psycho-social support. For most of our lives we are carried by others, individually or by the community or culture as a whole. “Care is a synonym for social support”. Silverman tells us that care or social support entails feedback, continuity and connection; that the support must be consciously given, in order to provide a movement from what was to what is yet to be, and the recognition that the person receiving the support is part of the community that is giving the support.
Essentially, social support is the conscious affirmation of the person as s/he does whatever they need to do to learn new coping skills for their new life situation. Jaco (2001) states that “ social support can be viewed as providing an experience that validates the worth of the person and offers them a caring presence when they are troubled”. Whatever else it might be, as authors attest, social support is being there with the person in need.
Social support must be consciously given and consciously received, that is the person receiving the support must have the awareness that the person or community giving the support is doing so for the sake of giving support and not for some other sake, (Gough, Chap 5.).
Empathy means creating an atmosphere in which the person in distress is free to ask for what is needed. Speaking of children, Phyllis Silverman says “Our openness will affect the questions they ask, the kinds of answers they can accept, and the very nature of the dialogue. In creating this atmosphere we try to provide our children with tools that promote their ability to cope and adapt positively to the vicissitudes of life, (Silverman, 2000). The benefit is not limited to children. Or rather, the benefit of empathy speaks to the child within all of us.
When social support is absent research is fairly clear, grieving persons need others either in the informal support offered by family and friends or in formal settings. “There was a significant positive relationship between the availability of social support and health: Individuals who had a great number of supportive relationships suffered fewer depressive symptoms and somatic complaints than those with less social support but had similar effects on married and widowed individuals, (Stroebe & Stroebe,1999). Dependency needs are so closely correlated with safety needs that individuals who lose the one on whom they depend are vulnerable to excessive anxiety and worry simply because they are deprived of the strong, reliable support they once had, (Sanders, 1999).
Prof. J.D. Morgan has assembled this essential reference for those who accompany the devastated lonely. It’s a who’s who list with a one-of-a-kind resource book.
By:
edited by John D. Morgan
ISBN 0-89503-259-7
Copyright Law
Almost all The Grief Centre – MABF documents and literature have a copyright on the bottom of the page. Only the leaflets available to download on the website are allowed to be reproduced. A large national organisation in Manchester has been photocopying our handouts.
Copyright law secures for the creator of a creative effort the exclusive right to control who can make copies or make works derived from the original work. Copyright has two main purposes, namely the protection of the author’s right to obtain commercial benefit from valuable work, and more recently the protection of the author’s right to control how a work is used. The copyright law states that a commercial organisation such as another charity / voluntary organisation or statutory body wishing to scan, or copy extracts from published works such as our handbooks, even though purchased, need to seek permission from the owner on each occasion in writing.
Even though members / delegates may purchase booklets produced by The Grief Centre – MABF, they are for their individual reference and support. Not to be reproduced for training sessions being delivered by another organisation. These may be purchased by other organisations to be utilised in training / distribution etc. The author’s right to control what is done with the work, however, has validity, even if there were no commercial value. In this case there is commercial value, these booklets are sold by us to bring income for the organisation. They may also be reducing our income from training. At present our legal team have been asked to deal with this issue, and the Copyright Compliance Unit.
Any person/organisation who uses a work with a commercial value can be sued for actual damages, this is money lost from our sales and training.
Morally if you feel the need to violate copyright “because you can get away with it” you should ask yourself why you are doing it. In general respecting the rights of creators is the first principle of advocacy that needs adhering to.
You may purchase all our leaflets and booklets from the office.
By:A.T.
DIARY DATES 2003
Committee Meetings.
February 3rd 2004
March 30th 2004
A.G.M. May 11th 2004
August 10th 2004
October 12th 2004
December 2nd 2004
By:sb
CONFERENCE 2004
“Time To Care”.
Conference to be held on 9th September 2004 has a different venue, due to GMB College closing in February. We have secured the conference suite at Sedgley Park Centre, Prestwich, Manchester.
Keynote Speaker:- Phyllis Rolf-Silverman.
Supported by; Professor Stephen Wright.
Dr. Anne Grinyer.
Mr. Peter Cardew.
Jude Boyle.
This annual conference will address useful and relevant strategies when helping individuals faced with bereavement and loss issues.
The goal of the conference is to expand your knowledge of the grief process, network with others in the field and develop skills required for a variety of grief situations.
The presentations are designed to engage both the professional as well as those coming in contact with the bereaved.
Flyers will be out end of February.2004.
By:A.T.