The brain is the control board for all the body's functions including thinking, moving and breathing. It receives messages, interprets them and then responds to them by enabling the person to speak, move or show emotion.

Brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for Canadians under the age of 45.

Possible Consequences of Brain Injury

Physical Changes

  • Seizures of all types
  • Muscle spasticity
  • Double vision or low vision, even blindness
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Speech impairments such as slow or slurred speech
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Fatigue, increased need for sleep
  • Balance problems
  • Motor coordination

    • Thinking Changes

    • Short-term memory loss; long-term memory loss
    • Slowed ability to process information
    • Trouble concentrating or paying attention for periods of time
    • Difficulty keeping up with a conversation; other communication difficulties such as word finding problems
    • Spatial disorientation
    • Organizational problems & impaired judgment
    • Unable to do more than one thing at a time
    • A lack of initiating activities, or once started, difficulty in completing tasks without reminders
    • Decision making difficulties
    • Sequencing difficulties
    • Inflexibility
    • Self-perception
    • Persistence

    Personality and Behavioral Changes

    • Depression
    • Social skills problems
    • Mood swings
    • Inappropriate behavior
    • Inability to inhibit remarks
    • Problems with emotional control
    • Difficulty . . .
           relating to others
           maintaining relationships
           forming new relationships
           interpreting social cues
    • Stress, anxiety, frustration
    • Egocentric behaviors; 
      difficulty seeing how behaviors 
      can affect others
    "STOP PUSHING YOURSELF TOO HARD"  RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS YOUR ONLY LIFE AND YOU ARE YOUR LIFE DESIGNER.  IT IS UP TO YOU.  DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE.  TAKE RESPONSBILITY FOR HOW YOU FEEL"

    Some very effective stress management methods include:

    Education
    Find out as much as you can about brain injury and rehabilitation.  Search the many available web sites that offer information about brain injury.  Read.  Talk to others.  Attend seminars and conferences.

    Join a Support Group
    Locate a local brain injury support group.  Take a chance.  Get involved.  Go more than once.   Talk to others who may be in a similar situation.

    Maintain/Improve your Health
    Eat balanced meals.  Avoid eating too little or too much.  Avoid alcohol.  Exercise.  Moderate aerobic exercise helps to decrease stress-induced hormones and reduce tension.    Exercise is good for us both physically and emotionally.  Choose an exercise that you enjoy.  Go for a walk or a hike.  Swim.  Go to an exercise class.  Walk up and down the stairs.  If you enjoy it, you are more likely to continue it.  Get enough sleep.  Have some fun.   (Check with your doctor first).

    Relaxation/meditation techniques
    Take a deep breath.  Slow down your mind.  Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a relaxing place.  Go on a mental vacation.  Light a candle.  Listen to soothing music.  Learn porgressive muscle relaxation.  Take a yoga class.  Take breaks often.  Accept that working harder does not mean working better or smarter.  Taking breaks can actually help you accomplish more.

    Set reasonable goals and expectations
    Recognize what you can and cannot do.  Learn to recognize what you do best.  Avoid taking on more than you can handle.  Define your priorities.  Recognize what othrs do best and ask for their help.  Be specific with your help requests.  Negotiate time lines and responsibilities.  Focus on one thing at a time.  Work on your toughest responsibilities when you are at your best.

    Compose a list of what you have accomplished
    Regularly review your list of accomplishments.  Learn and recognize the difference between what you would like to do and what you are required to do.

    Practice good communication and negotiation skills
    Express yourself assertively.  Learn to say "no" to things that are not a priority to you and "yes" to things you enjoy.

    Find the humour
    In "The Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient," Norman Cousins, a leader in research on the power of laughter in illness and stress reduction, describes the positive effects of laughter on tension, pain, breathing, and mood.  Be aware of how much you smile or laugh.  Try to find other people that help bring out the laughter in you.  As Anna Quindlen says in her recent book, " A Short Guide to a Happy Life", "Show up.  Listen.  Try to laugh."

    Build your self-esteem
    Tell yourself things that will help.  Become aware of what messages you are sending yourself.  Avoid putting yourself down.  Stop pushing yourself too hard.  Recognize that this is your only life and you are your life designer.  It is up to you.  Decide how you want to live your life.  Take responsibility for how you feel.  

    It is important to recognize that no single stress management strategy is right for everyone.  You must take an honest look at yourself and decide what will work for you.  Many of these strategies can be effective.  Choose the techniques that are likely to be most effective for you and then make the commitment to put them into practice.  This requires a plan of action.  Write your plan.  Enlist others to support your plan.  Evaluate the plan's effectiveness on a regular basis.  Revise your plan, trying new strategies when the ones you are using are not effective.  Stick to it.

    Taking care of yourself takes effort.  YOU ARE WORTH IT!

    (Source:  Premier Outlook magazine)