coping Archives - Jumbledbrain

Guest Post: Navigating a Brain Injury During a Pandemic

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:00:41 +0000

TBI survivor, Dr Rob Tennant, has written a piece about how the global pandemic of covid-19 is affecting him. Of course it is affecting everyone, but those of us who already have a health issue are understandably nervous. Read his message below.

Pandemics, by their very nature are rare and unusual. As this pandemic draws out and frays people’s nerves, it can be especially difficult for the TBI community. While my lived experience is from the perspective of being post-TBI, as an educator, I encounter a wide variety of people that need academic accommodations. While I focus on TBI specifically, these recommendations may prove helpful to others as well.

Personally, I have to guard against ruminating on all of the challenging news in the media. Cities going crazy, riots, over one-hundred thousand dead from the COVID-19. (See, it’s easy to descend to that place). Loved ones will often suggest “just think positive, or “don’t dwell on things so much.” They mean well, but it doesn’t lead to a better outcome.

I find it effective to distance myself from the problem that consumes me. For example, if I were dwelling on “will the lockdown ever end?” I would try to look at it from another perspective, and perhaps ask myself, “does the governor really want to close the state down forever?” And I can quickly see that of course they want to resume a robust economy and return to normalcy as soon as possible.

Anxiety is not uncommon during stressful times, especially in this age of mass social media availability. When my mom was anxious about something, she would write it all down. Research shows that this method is also very helpful for neuro-diverse folks, as journaling is effective in dealing with stress, depression, and anxiety.

The pandemic has put the world in a perpetual state of flux and insists that every new change is the “new normal.” Students having to switch to online, parents having to homeschool their children, while working remotely, essential workers still going to work has fueled stress, anxiety and depression in the TBI community. Those with brain injuries can find it challenging to overcome the daily changes to our world. We have to encourage each other that we are going to get through this and uplift each other, so we can make it through.

I have lived with my head injury since 1987. I have found that the challenges that I face are not different from those of the neurotypical. However, the magnitude of the struggles is more extreme. My recommendation for those experiencing these increased challenges is to employ the strategies discussed here, avoid isolation during these challenging times, and seek help if you get overwhelmed. Sometimes, we need the help of professionals to guide us to better days.

If the overwhelmed person is a loved one, listen to them, empathize with them, and be there for them. Most of the time they are not looking for someone to solve the situation, they just need a loving ear to listen. Just remember, most of us had never heard of the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, until earlier this year. In time, the fears that dominate the conversation now, will be faded memories told to children and grandchildren.

Other articles you may like:

Do you feel more anxious as a brain injury survivor in this pandemic?

The post Guest Post: Navigating a Brain Injury During a Pandemic appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

Guest post: 7 Common Behavioral Effects of Brain Injury and How to Deal With Them

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 19:46:30 +0000

Today’s article is written by Hazel Ann Westco.

Hazel Ann Westco is a start-up freelance writer. She is interested in writing blogs and articles related to legal cases mainly in personal injury and employment. Whenever she has free time she rides her bicycle or motorcycle for a road trip. You can follow her on Twitter using her handle @AnnWestco.

She has looked into some of the behavioral effects of brain injury and has some tips on what to do when they arise.

A brain injury can have various physical, cognitive, medical, emotional, and behavioral effects on head injury survivors. Of these changes, behavioral changes can be one of the most challenging for survivors to overcome to live happier and more independently. To help survivors with traumatic brain injury (TBI), families and caregivers should learn to understand their behavior and develop practical ways to address those challenges.

Why Does Brain Injury Affect Emotions?

Behavioral problems following TBI are often the result of damage to the frontal lobe, the area of the brain that controls “executive functions.” Executive functions refer to the set of skills a person uses to plan, create, evaluate, organize, evaluate, reason, communicate, and solve problems. These impairments have a significant impact on how a person behaves.

Common Behavioral Changes Experienced by TBI Survivors

Human behavior is complex and multi-faceted. This means it can be difficult to isolate which behavior is a result of TBI. A TBI patients behavior is, after all, influenced by many different factors, like the nature of the injury, their pre- and post-injury experience, their cognitive abilities, or the behavior of other people. But some of the most common behavior changes encountered by TBI survivors include:

1. Memory Problems

Most people diagnosed with a brain disorder may experience memory problems, but they are more common among TBI survivors as a result of an injury from the bony protrusions inside the skull. Typical situations include forgetting a person’s name, losing a train of thought, and difficulty learning new things.

2. Temper Outbursts

Family members of people with TBI often describe their loved one as someone with a quick temper. They may use bad language, throw objects, or slam doors. Drastic changes like the loss of independence and inability to follow a conversation, in particular, can make a person with TBI more prone to these temper outbursts.

3. Depression

Depression among people with TBI can arise because of the struggle to adjust to disabilities and the changes to one’s role in the family and society. Symptoms of depression include feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, changes in sleep and appetite, and withdrawal from peers.

4. Poor Concentration

TBI affects a person’s attention and concentration abilities, posing a challenge to work, study, and everyday living. Poor concentration manifests itself in difficulty multitasking, following conversations, and processing information. This happens when the lateral intraparietal cortex—the region of the brain responsible for controlling attention—suffers damage.

5. Self-Centered Attitude

It’s common for TBI survivors to show signs of egocentrism. In turn, this could hamper their ability to see things from another person’s point of view which severely impact their relationship with family members, especially if they used to be a caring person. And although it is often taken for granted, the ability to understand another’s perspective is a complex cognitive skill.

6. Aggressive Behavior

Aggressive behavior following a TBI is often impulsive. A person with TBI can easily grow agitated over trivial disagreements. Experts explain that aggression that happens directly after the TBI is the result of delirium and other post-injury medications. Aggression up to three months after TBI, on the other hand, happens as a result of depression, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

7. Lower Sex Drive

A decreased desire or interest in sex is more common among TBI survivors than heightened libido. Disinhibited sexual behavior can be a possible effect of poor awareness and impulsivity. Changes in sexual functioning following TBI can be due to hormonal changes, medication side effects, fatigue, and movement problems.

Coping with a Loved One with Head Injury

People with TBI showing signs of these behavior problems should be evaluated by a doctor so they can receive proper treatment. On top of medical intervention, friends and family of survivors should also actively participate in rehabilitation, recovery, and advocacy.

1. Set Realistic Expectations

Brain injury has lifelong effects. It pays to understand that a person with TBI might already be trying his or her best. Every member of the family can have different abilities, skills, comfort levels, and limitations, so set small goals and acknowledge that every day is an achievement.

2. Get Involved

Behavioral problems are often hard to deal with. But try to resist the temptation of avoiding difficult situations. People with TBI could end up feeling more confused and isolated if left alone. Instead, get involved and familiarize yourself with their day-to-day routine.

3. Encourage Independence

Learning how to comfort a loved one with TBI is a must. But tread carefully: there is a fine line between caring for people and smothering them with affection. Try to instill independence and study their behavior to know the right time to provide comfort.

4. Reinforce Positive Behavior

What used to come easy to a TBI survivor may now feel extremely difficult. Reinforce positive behavior by focusing on the patient’s strengths, rather than pointing fingers or directing behavior.

5. Rediscover Preferences

Stay alert and pay attention to the wants and needs of a person with TBI. Discover new ways they can engage in activities and establish a balance between easy and difficult tasks. And always encourage them to participate, instead of assuming that their injury makes them unable to.

6. Confide with Loved Ones

Honesty is the best policy, and confiding in friends and family members can help alleviate the burden. Enlisting others for support can provide a fresh perspective and make it easier to identify triggers and how to avoid them.

7. Bounce Back Quickly

Accept that encountering behavioral problems is a part of life. Avoid getting stuck by teaching

new skills while a person is upset. Bounce back quickly from these obstacles then revisit them again later since people aren’t receptive to learning new things when they’re upset.

Other articles you may like:

Have you or a brain injury survivor you know struggled with these behavioural issues? What advice would you give to others?

The post Guest post: 7 Common Behavioral Effects of Brain Injury and How to Deal With Them appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

The unpredictable life of a brain injury survivor

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:44:44 +0000

Pretty much anyone can say life is difficult to predict as none of us knows what is around the corner. I mean if I’d left 10 minutes earlier on the day of my accident I might have avoided it. And this blog would have never existed. But as I didn’t have a prophecy, this is where I am. However it’s not massive life changing events I want to talk about. It’s the little things, like planning when to do the shopping that I find my ability to complete can be so unpredictable.

How even the best laid plans can’t be relied upon.

I find it important to try to do the shopping outside of peak times. This is because like many other brain injury survivors, it can be one of the most strenuous and traumatic activities of the week. I did my best to explain the horror of supermarket shopping in 7 Executive dysfunction challenges after brain injury. By going when it’s less busy, there’s less noise and people to be overworking my brain. As my partner James works from home on a Friday, we usually try to go mid afternoon before the rush. Good plan right?

We knew what we needed, the list was ready. James was having a busy morning, so it was just a case of finding the right moment to dash off for the supermarket sweep. I was down stairs not up to much to reserve my energy for the task. I like to join him as otherwise we can feel like passing ships sometimes. It’s an activity where we are both focused on the same result, and communicate properly. As much as shopping is a hated chore to me, this proper one on one time with him means much more.

Then out of the blue, the pain hit me…

My eyes hurt so much. It wasn’t the muscles around my eyes that I was so concerned with. But it felt like my eyeballs didn’t fit anymore, as if swollen. I’d had this before, but it was a long time since my last episode so I thought it was over.

I’d never had problems with my eyes before my brain injury, so I knew this was somehow related. I mentioned previously in Double vision trouble from brain injury how my eyes have been affected. But still this episode was completely unpredictable. I knew I just had to close them and try to sleep until the pain had eased off. So when James came down I tell me he was ready, I had to tell him I wasn’t up to it. I could barely open my eyes, but in the glare of the shop lights I had absolutely no chance.

I know suddenly feeling unwell can happen to even the best of us. But it’s fair to say this happens more to survivors. The human anatomy is finely balanced with hormones, organs and various vital systems with the brain acting as the conductor. But when his timing is off, no matter how hard the orchestra tries, the melody isn’t going to be pretty.

You just can’t take anything for granted.

I was silly enough to think I was over that “phase” with my eye pain. But that was naive of me. For whilst I might not feel like I’m overworking them, who knows if my brain has decided to be a slave driver on them that day for no apparent reason. Thus my ability to participate in an activity is unpredictable. Particularly as this is just one example of the many troubles I now face.

So if the brain injury survivor in your life, who was on good form just an hour ago, cancels their plans with you, please go easy on them. Believe me, you haven’t been ditched for a better offer.

Other articles you may like:

Has your life become more unpredictable? What do you find harder, the fact that you can't always get things done, or how it affects your relationships?

The post The unpredictable life of a brain injury survivor appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

A brain injury isn’t a part-time ailment! I’m injured!

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:52:24 +0000

A regular reader of this blog asked me to raise this issue. As I do believe many of us face this I was happy to do so. It probably comes from people mistaking our good and bad days for a part-time issue. But unfortunately a brain injury goes much deeper than that.

As with many chronic conditions you can learn how to avoid exacerbating the symptoms of your brain injury. But sometimes in different situations you have to stretch yourself despite this. Then the aftermath can be at its most punishing. That is the only thing living with a brain injury has in common with a headache.

Where as a headache can dissolve and allow the person to get on with life, a brain injury doesn’t. It doesn’t take a day off like a part-time ailment, it’s always there. We might have a good day after managing our symptoms well, but that good day still might not be what our potential was before.

What people don’t always realise, is that when we are having a good day we are working our brain very hard. It’s like asking a sprinter to do a marathon. They might be able to do it, but it would leave them in a bad condition for an extended period afterwards. Possibly even ruin their career. So if anyone thinks it would be reasonable be ask Usain Bolt to run a marathon, please go ahead. (He’s 6ft 5in and basically a mass of muscle, so good luck with that.) In fact, he has never even run a mile. The Washington post does a pretty good job of explaining why.

Whilst for the time we are in your presence we “appear” to be doing well, that is just a snapshot in time. You don’t know how we struggled to get out of bed, and changed what we were going to say because we couldn’t remember the words we wanted to use. Whilst it might look like our brain injury is something we deal with only sometimes, it’s not.

This is demonstrated well by the “Spoon theory”. Christine Miserandino devised it whilst trying to explain to her friend what living with Lupus is like. Her explanation can be related to any chronic illness. She used spoons to represent energy reserves for that day. Her friend was surprised when Christine took spoons away for daily activities which she usually took for granted. Thus it demonstrated how Christine had to always plan her day to try to conserve her spoons. Otherwise she would run out of energy too quickly and her symptoms would become unbearable.

I hope this has helped to demonstrate to those who didn’t fully understand, the struggles of living with a brain injury. You might wonder what the survivor is always complaining about, when they seem OK to you. Or perhaps they don’t complain and you don’t ever get to hear what it’s like for them. So next time they say they can’t do something that day, or decline to attend an event, please remember their spoons. They might really want to join you, but the consequences might be too severe.

Other articles you may like:

Does someone you know think brain injury behaves like a part-time ailment? Have you got another way of explaining the "Spoon theory"?

The post A brain injury isn’t a part-time ailment! I’m injured! appeared first on Jumbledbrain.