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Brain Injury Outcomes

13 Stuck-in- My- Mind-Changed-Lives Memorable Moments of 2014

    Here are a random selection of my memorable moments of 2014 out of the 45,000 words -give or take a few - written on Changed Lives New Journey. Just before I begin - forgive the lack of a numbered list. Grrrrrr - Consider all those little 1's below. Usually I spend hours getting the post to look as right as possible. Today the time to correct this numbering overwhelmed me and I decided to leave it as is, for the world to see.  An example of the imperfections that occur, due to my lack of knowledge about what goes on in the world of web stuff.     Receiving my Criptiques publication in the mail. A book of short stories by authors with disabilities challenging and provoking thought on a whole range of life themes.   Writing “A Rant for Remembrance Day: Traumatic Brain Injury in Soldiers “ and realising the world would not end if I let off steam about things…

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January 7, 2015
Life Changes After Brain Injury

Not Just Any Monday: A Shock and a Reminder of Lifelong Learning

  Do you have memories of people in your life who have contributed to your lifelong learning? This week I was strongly reminded of two people who had contributed significantly to my own learning . Albeit they have no idea! Stella Young and Dr Charlie Teo are two people I had seen, heard, but not met. Yet they were two people who challenged and changed (and continue to challenge and change) my thinking. I clearly remember my first introduction to both, and my most recent reminder. It all happened on Monday. Stella Young I woke up Monday morning switched on my technology. I was shocked, speechlessly shocked, to discover Stella Young had died. It seemed impossible that a person with such a huge personality and so many talents, could no longer be around to hold a mirror (and often a very bitingly, funny mirror) up to our world. What randomly sprang to my mind was the ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’…

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December 11, 2014
Read more about the article Chaos on the Information Superhighway: Reduced Speed of Information Processing After Brain Injury
Brain Injury Outcomes / Cognitive changes / Strategies Approaches and Support

Chaos on the Information Superhighway: Reduced Speed of Information Processing After Brain Injury

  Reduced speed of information processing: I have a picture of an information superhighway with information flying along at great speed. Suddenly it is thrown into chaos because some stuff begins to slow down and not follow the rules.  These slower pieces get in the way of other information whizzing along and the information superhighway is disrupted.  What does information processing look like? How does it affect the function of the brain?    What Is Information Processing? Let’s start with a challenge: Can I write a very simple description of ‘Information processing’ that is able to be understood? Here goes: 'Information processing' is part of what the brain needs to do so we can function efficiently: The brain needs to quickly sort out, and prioritise all the millions and millions of inputs it receives, from all parts of the body, every second of every day. It then has to decide on the spot what to action now, what to keep for later,…

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December 3, 2014
Read more about the article Daaa-daa-dadada-daaa-da Daaa da daa dun Daaa da daa dun – Task Busters
Pixabay.com
Starting Out / Strategies Approaches and Support

Daaa-daa-dadada-daaa-da Daaa da daa dun Daaa da daa dun – Task Busters

   No it's not gremlins in the website. It's my attempt at a clever title about Task Busters- see below! It came about because a support worker asked me about 'Breaking tasks down into manageable steps’. It is a familiar strategy after brain injury. How do you do it in real life? Be a Task Buster It's like 'Ghostbuster' (as in the movie) only this is for tasks, not ghosts. The title above is my attempt to phonetically sing the Ghostbusters Theme Song for you! You are very welcome to recommend improvement. To get things done in life, and use the energy resources we have well, we all need to do a bit of task busting. This goes for whether you are helping someone else organise tasks, or you are going to be your own 'Task Buster'. Unfortunately I cannot claim credit for the term ‘Task Busting’. This great term and the two tricks for success below, come from a book I have…

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November 25, 2014
Read more about the article Looking From the Outside: Learning about Soldiers With Brain Injury
Soldiers Marching Wikipedia
Cause and Incidence / Life Changes After Brain Injury / Social and emotional changes

Looking From the Outside: Learning about Soldiers With Brain Injury

  Today you are reading the remnants of what was to be a grand and enlightening piece about soldiers with brain injury. You might ask - Well what happened? [unordered_list style="green-dot"] You can see the beginning last  week in a "Rant for Remembrance Day". It was much, much, bigger and more complex than I thought. Brain injury - Post traumatic stress disorder - shell shock - the circumstances of war. It was more emotional and difficult than I thought. The human stories, the lack of support for veterans - anger, sorrow, guilt, disbelief, horror and more. I kept doubting I could. The more I read, the more I wondered - What did I really know about soldiers with brain injury and their lives? [/unordered_list] You might then ask - Why did I keep going? [unordered_list style="green-dot"] I was learning so much and I wondered if sharing what I found might interest other people. My belief that this story needs to continue to…

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November 19, 2014
Read more about the article A Rant for Remembrance Day: Traumatic Brain Injury in Soldiers
Brain Injury Outcomes

A Rant for Remembrance Day: Traumatic Brain Injury in Soldiers

  Posted 2014 11th day 11th month @11am After several weeks of trying to prepare an article  for Remembrance day: “traumatic brain injury in soldiers - a brief history” The writing would not flow. Everything I read made me cranky. It seems we have not learned all we could from history, about the lifelong support that many soldiers and their families need. The 11th hour - of the 11th day - of the 11th month is a time when the end of World War I is commemorated. When the millions of lives changed by war, across the world, are remembered. Instead of my planned, commemorative, historical, piece I am now letting off steam with a personal ‘Rant for Remembrance Day’, particularly about the lack of support for Traumatic Brain Injury in soldiers. Significant advances have been made in enabling soldiers to survive brain injury, yet we still have a long way to go to ensure those soldiers are able to live a…

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November 11, 2014
Read more about the article 5 Column Approach : A Tool for Strength Based Work
Strategies Approaches and Support / Strengths based

5 Column Approach : A Tool for Strength Based Work

We do better when we build from what we do well. We do better when we work from our strengths. We mostly know this about ourselves, but how do we put it into practice? Working from a strengths based approach does not always come easily and naturally to everyone, yet it can be life changing for both the facilitator and the person being assisted. One of the  tools I have found helpful is the 5 Column approach. Developed by St Lukes  I have found it an effective tool to guide and assist myself, and others to identify steps for change. For more about the strengths approach I recommend a book I have found very useful: “The Strengths Approach: a strengths-based resource for sharing power and creating change” by Wayne McCashen.  Along with information on developing and working from a strengths based approach in a very practical way, it also contains an explanation with examples of the 5 column approach in action. While…

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November 5, 2014
Read more about the article Brain Myth Busters and Debunkers
Brain Myth Buster. Flickr Image by Hartwig HKD
Brain Injury Outcomes / Cause and Incidence / Strategies Approaches and Support

Brain Myth Busters and Debunkers

  Sorting fact from fiction. Sorting brain myth from fact, can be difficult, especially when using the internet for information. Since beginning Changed Lives New Journeys I have learned much more about many aspects of the brain, and brain injury. Researching brain myths in these past weeks I realised one of my major learnings has been “Believe no-one. Check it out for yourself.”    Believe it or Not: a Brain Myth vs Fact Story The following story is to illustrate the differing views that can arise when researching facts, information, treatment, and therapies. About a year ago while researching an article on the causes of brain injury I came across a TED talk by Dr Amen entitled The most important lesson from 83,000 brain scans. I watched and I was impressed. it looked amazing and I wanted to believe it possible.  I looked up a bit more about Dr Amen and thought at first I would share the talk.  It seemed like…

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October 29, 2014
Read more about the article Willy Wonka, Brain Injury And Brain Myth
Brain and 10 Percent Myth Image by Cynthia Blair
Brain and Function / Strategies Approaches and Support

Willy Wonka, Brain Injury And Brain Myth

What’s the harm in a little brain myth? Brain injury and brain myth - how does it impact on a person living with brain injury? And what has Willy Wonka got to do with it?   When talking about brain injury and brain myth with a friend, she said "Just like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We want the golden ticket. There is none." Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is a film based on the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” written by Roald Dahl . A small added unrelated fact - in 2014 the book is celebrating 50 years since publication. A brief summary of relevant plot: A young boy, Charlie, finds a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory. A factory where the work is kept secret from the outside world. Charlie is one of 5 children who win a golden ticket allowing access to the chocolate factory. For those of you who do not know it, the…

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October 22, 2014
Read more about the article A Movie, The Brain 10 Percent Myth and 1,135,000
Brain and 10 Percent Myth Image by new 1lluminati
Brain and Function

A Movie, The Brain 10 Percent Myth and 1,135,000

Brain and 10 Percent Myth Image by new 1lluminati  What does a science fiction movie,the brain 10 percent myth and 1,135,000 have to do with each other? The connection is through a much written about belief /myth that we only use 10 percent of our brain. That we have untapped resources we can call upon. Another 90%! This article looks further at the myth. Next week more about how it can impact on brain injury. To begin. The science fiction movie is  “Lucy”  is a movie directed by Luc Besson, released in 2014. The plot created a flurry of articles and comments about the myth that we supposedly have 90% of our brain that we do not use. ‘Lucy’ is a woman who gains increased brain powers from the absorption of a certain drug. At one point gaining 100% of her brain function (very short version of a long story, and ” No” I haven’t seen the movie). The 1,135,000 is the…

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October 15, 2014