Comments on: Understanding how to communicate with brain injury survivors

By: Shannon

Shannon — Fri, 18 May 2018 12:38:38 +0000

In reply to David Cropp. Yes! And I hate being put on the spot. I go completely blank.

By: SD

SD — Sat, 05 May 2018 00:11:52 +0000

Thank you so much for your post and comments. By the time I read their body language and asses mine, they pause for my reply but I haven’t even started listening yet! Then they move topics and I’m not sure how we got there. I try to get through the mud for some words to reply with but they aren’t as deep or thoughtful as I would like. I have trouble reaching that higher level thinking during a conversation, let alone express it! Then I notice some social cue where they seem disappointed. I think they think I’m just uninterested or disagree when really they are used to old me understanding what they feel before they even finish talking. Glad to hear your experiences are similar! And that it’s not just me where one bad encounter can ruin a good day. You got to keep finding that peace.

By: michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk

michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 04:44:12 +0000

In reply to RoadKill. I find it also makes me feel like they want me to hurry up and shut up. If they can't wait for a word I think they just want to be able to move on to something else. I know this is the pessimistic view and often people are just trying to help.

By: RoadKill

RoadKill — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 04:03:35 +0000

like you and so many of the other commenters…getting my thoughts into words has proven at times hard. i find people trying to finish my sentences for me is a real PITA.
i get so frustrated..i can see the words in my head but they get lost getting to my mouth and i go blank..at times i just shut down and remain quite. left alone in my in my own thoughts is when i start to over think and my brain gets tired..and the headaches start. people giving me time to finish my own sentences are the best. thank you for riting this blog
sincerely
a fellow TBI survivor

By: michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk

michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:49:52 +0000

In reply to Jo Wood. I've always been an overthinker, but I've definitely got worse. But if I talk round it and acknowledge that there are two sides to every story I can get there.

By: Jo Wood

Jo Wood — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 17:15:26 +0000

Great blog again, i can relate to your words, misunderstanding is easily done. I find that I can also ‘overthink ‘ situations, my information processing is slow too, then I can over think the situation, anxiety builds before I know it, I am stressed out and then there’s a sleepless night and knock on fatigue. All just from a letter, a text or conversation. I find best to leave sometime now and talk it through with someone else, especially if I see it as a ‘threat’, because I misunderstand the meaning behind it. Revisiting and renumerating is a bad habit to get into. Give yourself some breathing space, before you reply, probably is best .

By: michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk

michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 13:17:26 +0000

In reply to helentastic67. I find it hard if perhaps I didn't quite make sense, thinking of another way of putting it. But as long as they are patient we get there.

By: helentastic67

helentastic67 — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 13:04:49 +0000

I so love that quote! It’s been years since I heard it. (No, I didn’t forget) I find it really challenging communicating very simple things with others who have perhaps a worse ABI than I have. And it’s when I’m trying to be diplomatic and not rude and blunt like others might…….Disaster!

By: michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk

michelle.munt@yahoo.co.uk — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 02:25:48 +0000

In reply to David Cropp. That's an excellent point David. I should have said about choosing timing and setting so that the survivors have less distractions. Thank you ?.

By: David Cropp

David Cropp — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 21:41:56 +0000

Just a couple of things I have difficulty with, if I’m concentrating on a task and somebody interrupts me by asking for or about something unrelated to what I’m doing I don’t understand at all what they want unless they repeat it when I’m giving them my full attention. The other problem is just as you describe in your post misunderstanding the way that things are said