Brain injury life changes

Read more about the article Living With Brain Injury

Quote by Rabbi Dr Milton Pine

Brain Injury / Life Changes After Brain Injury

Living With Brain Injury

Over the years I have often thought about a paper presented at a Head Injury Council of Australia (HICOA) Conference during the 1990s. Written by Rabbi Dr Milton Pine the paper was insightful, moving and a wonderful personal story of his life before and after brain injury. Some may remember I attempted to quote the last paragraph of Rabbi Dr Milton Pine’s paper in a past article about Ethics. At the time I well remembered the impact of his final words but could not find the paper to quote directly. I have now been given a copy of the paper and permission to present the paper in full here, in the hope it may help others struggling in those early days post brain injury. This year, 25 years after acquiring a significant and life changing brain injury Rabbi Dr Milton Pine died. I knew him for a time over those years and as I said above, I was lucky enough to be…

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December 12, 2017

Brain Injury Outcomes / Life Changes After Brain Injury

Wondering Who You Are

When I first began working with people with brain injury I read many memoirs about living with brain injury. It helped me understand brain injury and how it is experienced. After many years I no longer read every book. Over the past year or so I was drawn to three in particular “Flower Between the Cracks" by Helen Sage and "To Love What Is: A Marriage Transformed" by Alix Kates Shulman and the book I write about today: “Wondering Who You Are”. How I first discovered “Wondering Who You Are” is now a bit vague in my mind. It was the foundation for an earlier article here: “Intimacy, Sex and Brain Injury” when I heard an interview with Sonya. I love to listen to audiobooks read by their author so naturally I chose to read / listen to “Wondering Who You Are” as an audio book read by author Sonya Lea. It kept me transfixed travelling to and from my home to the…

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August 17, 2016

Brain Injury / Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

To Say or Not To Say – What to Say After Brain Injury – Part 2

Tips on What 'To Say' When a Person Has A Brain Injury or Other Life Changes. The previous article "To Say or Not To Say - After Brain Injury Part 1" looked at what people say that sometimes can be hurtful, unhelpful and at times damaging albeit with good intentions. Today some tips and alternatives for what to say after brain injury to ensure more positive communication. Most of the links in the previous article also contain alternative and better ways to communicate. Here are a few more: 10 Things People with a Brain injury would like to hear A simple list of statements and questions from Brainline that might be helpful, or at least less upsetting than the “what not to say’ statements. Examples like – “I will bring you some delicious healthy brain foods and snacks — and come to sweep and do laundry, but don't worry, I won't stay too long.” “Take your time — we are not…

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August 3, 2016

Brain Injury Outcomes / Life Changes After Brain Injury

To Say or Not To Say – After Brain Injury Part 1

Recently I have received several letters from people living with brain injury wanting to know how to handle people who say hurtful things, or who say things that are supposed to be motivating but are instead are a reminder of loss. “If you put your mind to it you can do anything”. Timely, when this week when I came across an article entitled “9 things not to say to a wheelchair user” it reminded me of other articles I have read about what to say, and what not to say when a person has a brain injury. We all know words can build us up, or break us down, and most often the speaker does not mean them to be harmful. So today as a reminder to all of us. Articles that give clues on what not to say when a person has a brain injury or other life changes. Next week in Part 2 some suggestions on what you might say.…

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July 21, 2016

Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strengths based

Discovering Mister Rogers

Years ago I discovered I am a happier being if I don’t watch or listen to the news. Events and news frequently filters through through despite my efforts. Sometimes as a balance to all the woeful news it is good to be reminded of the wonderful side of human beans. My reminder this week came when I saw on an article on Atlas Obscura entitled “The Grave of Mister Rogers”. It reminded me I had discovered some of the wonderful things Mister Rogers had said and saved it for an article ‘one day’. This week seems a good time, and today is that ‘one day’. What’s all this got to do with brain injury. Nothing specifically - yet a lot really. Many of the quotes I have read describe empathy, compassion, tolerance, acceptance, being non-judgemental. All attributes which would serve us well - brain injury or not. Confession – until stumbling across the articles a few years ago I had not…

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June 14, 2016

Brain Injury / Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

Getting Through Stages of Change After Brain Injury

‘Tips for Getting Through the Stages of Change After Brain Injury” – this is another list I found in my archives. It is a single well worn sheet with ‘Bear in Mind presentation’ across the top. Bear in Mind is now Brain Injury Matters an organisation in Melbourne, Australia for and by people with brain injury. "Brain Injury Matters Inc (BIM) facilitates self-advocacy and community education for people living with an Acquired Brain Injury. BIM is currently organising events and improving this website to better deliver these services." See what you think about these tips - are they useful when managing change after brain injury? Well not just the changes after brain injury, any major change really. Please add your comments below. This is the complete list - without me butting in to comment. I leave it to you to take on board what you might find useful: Tips for Getting Through the Stages of Change After Brain Injury From…

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May 31, 2016

Brain Injury / Brain Injury Outcomes / Cognitive changes / Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

Fatigue After Brain Injury: I’m So Tired My Brain Hurts

Fatigue after brain injury: Cognitive fatigue, Brain fog, Mental fatigue, Brain fatigue, Brain exhaustion, Mental tiredness, Foggy brain. I love the last one! All terms that can mean "I'm so tired my brain hurts". Please Remember This: To begin here is the key message I want to make – We can all get foggy brain. Most of us recover quickly and it doesn’t happen too often. After brain injury - foggy brain is not cute, and it is often not a temporary thing. After brain injury 'foggy brain', is more professionally called cognitive fatigue. It does not go away without paying it attention and it can come back over and over again. Introducing Cognitive Fatigue After Brain Injury A few years ago (I just realised - 3 years ago almost to the day!) I wrote a post “I’m So Tired My Brain Hurts.” This has been the source of many letters, and one of the most read articles. Recently it was suggested…

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March 8, 2016

Read more about the article Brain Injury Misunderstood – Up Close and It’s Very Personal

Image Clker.com Kelly

Brain Injury Outcomes / Life Changes After Brain Injury / Strategies Approaches and Support

Brain Injury Misunderstood – Up Close and It’s Very Personal

Brain injury + misunderstood + hard to understand = The outcomes of brain injury can easily seem very personal. Every week I receive letters, comments on the blog, messages via Facebook - talking about people’s experience, living with brain injury. This is an aspect of writing ChangedLivesNewJourneys that I really, really enjoy so please keep writing. The foundation of many letters and stories I receive are three points: [ordered_list style="decimal"] Brain injury is hard to understand. Brain injury is often misunderstood. The outcomes of brain injury are often taken personally by others.[/ordered_list] Now I realise I am in danger of becoming a broken- record- reporter. I will accept that risk and write yet another article with the reminder “Please don’t take it personally. It’s the brain injury talking” Examples below are just some of the potential outcomes causing brain injury misunderstood. Today speaking from the brain’s point of view! With my broken record statement - repeated - just as a reminder…

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February 16, 2016

Life Changes After Brain Injury / Starting Out / Strategies Approaches and Support

When “Can’t” is About Power

An article "When Can't Is About Power' by Cheryl Green really got me thinking. I reckon most of us have been on one side or other of this conversation at some time. If you have visited Changed Lives or Changed Lives New Journey's Facebook you probably know I am a big Cheryl Green and Who Am I To Stop It fan. Her energy and talent are limitless. Today with her generous permission I am reposting this article from her blog. While I am still struggling to learn the ropes, Cheryl has mastered audio recordings and reads her posts in addition to the written word so I recommend visiting Cheryl’s site if you would like to listen OR you can listen HERE: I still recommend a visit to www.whoamItostopit.com as there is so much more to discover. “When “Can’t” Is About Power by Cheryl Green I heard someone say this once: “I can’t do that anymore since my brain injury.” And the person…

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February 9, 2016

Brain Injury / Brain Injury Outcomes / Life Changes After Brain Injury

Intimacy, Sex and Brain Injury

I know. I know. This image can be seen as a cheap trick on my part to draw you in? I really just want to make a bold statement about sex and brain injury! To reinforce my view - that it's OK to talk it. We should talk about it. Many, many, subjects are written and discussed after brain injury – cognitive difficulties, role changes, returning to work - or not, partner becoming care giver, memory changes, behaviour, family life, loss of interest and motivation, eating, life plans, alcohol, impulsivity, egocentricity. On and on the list can go. Every aspect of human life. Well almost. The topic rarely discussed - and more often discussed as “inappropriate behaviour” is SEX and brain injury. I have had private, intimate, discussions with many couples over the years, sharing their concerns at loss of intimacy, changed desires, and loss of sex life after brain injury. Yet we rarely feel comfortable raising and discussing it in…

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December 15, 2015