Stroke mentor highlights need to keep moving forward – newsie.co.nz

Posted: September 21, 2019 at 1:51 pm


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Getting back up after traumatic experiences knock you down is something that the Stoke Mentor, Wolfgang Wolf, has learned a lot about.

Since having a major stroke in 1990, Wolfgang has focused on helping others overcome trauma through mentoring, coaching and public speaking in New Zealand and internationally.

This month he is the guest speaker at the Rodney Aphasia Groups meeting in Silverdale. Aphasia, which most commonly results from a stroke, affects a persons ability to communicate speak, read or write, and the Rodney Aphasia Group provides support and information for people with the condition, and their caregivers.

Wolfgang says something he always emphasises in his talks with community groups is the importance of adapting to change.

He says his childhood, which included several years in a refugee camp in Germany, created the tenacity and resilience that he needed in bucket-loads while recovering from the stroke.

You learn once you fall down, to get up and keep going, he says. One of the biggest mistakes people make is wanting to go back to their old life. No one can, because once you have had a traumatic experience, such as a stroke, things are not the same.

He says developing a positive mental attitude is key, but acknowledges that is easier said than done.It took me a long time and in fact Im still working on it, he says. Talking with people and coaching others focuses on those positive things.

His work includes coaching couples where one partner has a disability.

Your whole relationship is affected, he says. Its critical to remain a partner and not fall into the trap of being mainly a caregiver. That is difficult, and part of the solution is trying to get professional help.People are used to helping someone who is disabled, which can lead to being over protective, or helicoptering. I dont like that I prefer to do what I can for myself, but not everyone is like that.

While he adjusted to life in a wheelchair, Wolfgang wrote the book Im not stupid, just disabled,completed a Bachelor of Social Practice, and a Diploma in Community Development. He also founded Computers Against Isolation, a charity that provides computers for people who live with disabilities, and travels widely giving talks.

The Silverdale talk will cover Wolfgangs achievements as a stroke survivor but the emphasis will be on his experiences as a disabled traveller.

It is open to the public and will be held on September 26, at Rotary House, 4 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Silverdale, 1.30pm. Anyone interested in attending should email Lisa rodneyaphasiagroup@gmail.com or phone 0210 527 258.

Further info: wolfgangwolfthestrokementor.weebly.com/ Wolfgangs book is out of print, but a version is available on Amazon/Kindle. Rodney Aphasia Group http://www.rodneyaphasiagroup.co.nz

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Stroke mentor highlights need to keep moving forward - newsie.co.nz

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September 21st, 2019 at 1:51 pm

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