Blog

Understanding and managing changes to behaviour after brain injury is the most frequently requested topic I can recall.

It contributes significantly to lifestyles being restricted.

Today a simple start by thinking about changes to behaviour after brain injury by ONEs!

There is no ONE solution for changed behaviour after Brain Injury

Many, many, many supporters and family members over the years have asked for the magic potion, the one solution that will fix all, the magic wand that will make an unwanted behaviour disappear.

Unfortunately we have not found it yet.

Mostly, it is less stressful to forget magic solutions and begin the longer, but potentially more productive, path of planning and developing tailor made strategies for each behaviour.

ONE strategy does not fit all

Not only is there is no one solution for changing behaviour after brain injury, there is no one strategy to fit all situations and all people.

The complexity and differences between people with brain injury, their lifestyles and relationships, mean one strategy will not fit all. Similar behaviours might need very different strategies from one person to the next. Strategies tailored to the person and their situation.

Be flexible. There are no solutions that will work for every person or all the time. Each strategy needs to be designed with the person, and their lifestyle in mind.

A mountain to ONE person. A minor bump in the road to another.

Not everyone views a behaviour in the same way. What one person finds OK, another might find unacceptable, and vice versa. You might find swearing unacceptable yet it might not bother me at all.

What is important is to focus on is what matters to the person, and to their family.

If as a supporter you find a behaviour challenging, sometimes it can help to talk to someone who finds a behaviour less challenging to get suggestions and management tips.

Tackle ONE change at a time

Try not to take on too many changes at once.

Think about how you change things in your own life. Generally you begin with the most important first, and then work on others, as new habits form.

With challenging behaviour after brain injury, it is even more important to think about all the changes a person has to manage, and prioritise one or two changes to work on.

Pick the ONE change that will be of most benefit.

Following on from the point above if there are many things to change, prioritise and work out which one will have the most benefit. Work on that one first.

While being able to wash and dress independently might be helpful, a person may decide it is more life changing to work on behaviours that enable friendships to develop.

What works ONE day may not work the next

Sometimes a strategy might work well one day and not at all the next.

Stick to the strategy. Remember routine, consistency, structure are important.

Think about what might have happened to change things. Is it something temporary like illness or infection? A life event such as an accident anniversary? Transition or change such as new school?

Oh, but then to make it harder: sometimes a strategy really is not working, and needs to change.

This is where working together, talking with everyone involved, and working out how best to manage strategies as a team becomes important.

Bottom line – if a strategy is consistently not working, or seems to be making things worse, discuss and review it with the person, family and people involved.

ONE solution may not work forever

A strategy may be working well, then suddenly it is not. Unfortunately there are no solutions and strategies that will work all the time.

[unordered_list style=”green-dot”]

• Some strategies may work for a while but then become less effective.
• Some strategies may not work until used regularly over time.

[/unordered_list]

Confusing isn’t it. I am sorry, I feel I am the bad news fairy today!

Being aware that things can change. Understanding that what is working well today, might change tomorrow can be a helpful and a starting place. You are prepared.

It may mean its review time: time to go back to basics and review the strategies that are in place.

Is it time to change the strategy, or is there something else happening: boredom, new person, someone not following strategy.

Take a ONE minute timeout to calm down

When it all gets too much take ONE minute out; count to ten, breathe deeply, sing a song, any measure that breaks the cycle and calms you down.

And by YOU I mean everyone; supporters, family, people living with brain injury.

Find a safety valve that allows you to defuse even in the middle of chaos; including when you might not be able to leave a situation. You might find it helpful to have two ONE minute strategies – one for leaving, one for staying present if leaving at that moment is not an option. Here are two articles I founde with 10 ideas each. 20 ideas for your 1 minute calming strategy: Canada Living and Dr Frank Lipman

 And Finally…

Here are a couple of sites that have some useful information about behaviour and brain injury. Remember if you are searching on the internet some of us spell b-e-h-a-v-i-o-u-r and some of us spell it b-e-h-a-v-i-o-r. It is worth searching both versions.

Behavior Management Strategies – this site is focussed on strategies for children but  has information that is useful to any age.

Behaviour Fact Sheets  – Synapse has a series of Fact Sheets covering a range of topics including a number on behaviour.

This is a beginning, to the very complex topic of changing behaviour after brain injury. It will not be the last time it is discussed here. I hope this is a useful starting point. Please share any resources you have found in the COMMENTS below.