"And at that exact moment, the earth tipped, and we all slid into a parallel universe..." On Christmas Day 2016, the Jessops were just an ordinary family, but on Boxing Day, one near-death experience swept them all into the bewildering world of hospitals and serious illness, and their lives changed forever. Pulling Through is a handbook of everything Catherine has learned on their journey. It covers many practicalities, such as explaining hospital tests and scans, jargon-busting medical terms, finance, rehabilitation and more. But it also illuminates the emotional aspect of illness and how massively it affects family and friends. There are chapters on the power of nature, music, counselling, optimism and humour, and how to look after the mental health of both patient and carer. This is a book of hope, help and reassurance on every aspect of coping with life-changing illness in the family: the good, the bad, the funny, the sad, and the useful. If you, or someone you know, has a life-changing illness, then this book is here to help.

Originally published in 2004. Exclusion is a popular area of sociological research, with much analysis pointing towards survival practices and inclusion mechanisms as ways to cope with and confront exclusion. However, the question of what it means to act and how it is possible to do so from a vulnerable situation has yet to be properly addressed. This resourceful volume takes on this challenge, examining how to react and the measures to employ in instances of material and symbolic deprivation. It analyzes whether alliances can be formed and their potential benefit, and discusses which supports are available despite structural inequality and no opportunity for reciprocation. Drawing together illustrative case studies from across Europe, the contributors consider in depth how a community or individual can take support from a spoiled identity and transform both it and the physical situation. This illuminating volume also includes discussions of living without support, security of living conditions and dignity, claims for citizenship, collective action, continuity and survival. It proposes an innovative and groundbreaking theory for 'weak' action.

Most people take the process of coping for granted as they go about their daily activities. In many ways, coping is like breathing, an automatic process requiring no apparent effort. However, when people face truly threatening events--what psychologists call stressors--they become acutely aware of the coping process and respond by consciously applying their day-to-day coping skills. Coping is a fundamental psychological process, and people's skills are commensurately sophisticated. This volume builds on people's strengths and emphasizes their role as positive copers. It features techniques for preventing psychological problems and breaks from the traditional research approach, which is modeled on medicine and focuses on pathology and treatment. Collecting both award-winning research and new findings, this book may well set the agenda for research on stress and coping for the next century. These provocative and readable essays explore a variety of topics, including reality negotiation, confessing through writing, emotional intelligence, optimism, hope, mastery-oriented thinking, and more. Unlike typical self-help books available at any newsstand, this volume features the work of some of the most eminent researchers in the field. Yet like those books it is written for the general reader, as well as for the specialist, and includes numerous practical suggestions and techniques. It will prove an invaluable tool for a wide range of readers.

OCD is thought to affect up to one million people in the UK, and an estimated three million in the USA. Listed among the top 10 most debilitating illnesses by the World Health Organisation, OCD can have a devastating effect on work, social life and personal relationships. Professional treatment can be hard to access, and in addition many people are too ashamed of their problem to seek help. Coping with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder offers expert advice and a thorough self-help programme based on solid scientific evidence.

"There goes Lester. Watch him fester. His ears start to fizz. He gets mad as a griz. His face turns red. He's a Soda Pop Head. You just never know when Lester will blow. His cap will go flying. If it hits you, you'll be crying, so you'd better stay away from Lester today!" His real name is Lester, but everyone calls him "Soda Pop Head." Most of the time he's pretty happy, but when things seem to be unfair his ears gets hot, his face turns red and he blows his top! Lester's dad comes to his rescue by teaching him a few techniques to "loosen the top" and cool down before his fizz takes control. Soda Pop Head will help your child control his/her anger while helping them manage stress. It's a must for the home or classroom.