Handbook of Solvents - George Wypych - ChemTech - Ventech!

1332 Jenni A Ogden
or even training for another occupation, especially given their memory, motivation, and
concentration problems.
Rehabilitation programmes 6,10 begin with psychoeducation for the worker and his
family about the effects of solvents and the importance of protecting himself from exposure
in the future. Family members can be taught strategies to reduce the stress on the victim,
such as encouraging him to have a rest in the afternoon, and limit his alcohol intake, and by
helping him avoid noisy environments such as parties and the family room in the early evening
when children are irritable and hungry. Counseling and therapy for the victim and family
can be helpful in assisting them to vent their anger at the unfairness of their situation,
grieve for their lifestyle and cognitive abilities lost, and come to terms with a “different”
person (whose memory may be permanently impaired, and concentration span and motivation
lowered). Financial and practical assistance is more often than not of extreme importance,
as it is difficult to find the motivation to work on one’s psychological and family
problems when one is worried about feeding and clothing the children. Antidepressant or
anti-anxiety medications may be of assistance in severe cases of mood disorder. In some
cases both the neurological damage and the psychological overlay can result in aggressive
and violent behaviors not typical of the worker in his younger days. In these cases it is important
to first attend to the safety of family members, and then to try and involve the worker
in anger management programs, or other therapy with the goal of helping him understand
how to control his aggressive or violent behaviors. Similarly, alcohol may be a problem
given that it seems likely that neurotoxic solvents damage the pre-frontal lobes, thus resulting
in a heightened susceptibility to intoxication. A rehabilitation program aimed at reducing
alcohol intake will be important in this case.
Vocational counseling and training are important not only to guide the worker towards
a new occupation where solvents are preferably absent, or where protection from solvent
exposure is good, but it is also important for the victim’s self-esteem and mood. Unfortunately,
in many countries where unemployment is high, the prospects of finding a satisfying
new career in middle-age are bleak. The task for the rehabilitation therapist in these sad
cases is to encourage the worker to take up new hobbies and recreational activities, to spend
more quality time with family and friends, and to try and live on a sickness benefit or unemployment
benefit without losing self-respect.
REFERENCES
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8 World Health Organization, Nordic Council of Ministers, Organic Solvents And The Central Nervous
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Labour, Wellington, 1992.
10 J.A.Ogden, N.Z. J. Psychol., 22, 82-93 (1993).