The Common Problems that occur after Brain Injuries

A brain injury can lead to significant and profound injuries that most likely will last us for the rest of our lifetimes. However, there are four main categories of the effects of the brain injury and its very easy to take these abilities for granted but they involve complex skills and involve many different parts of the brain. However, the more severe the brain injury is the more pronounced the long-term effects will be and the individual is most likely to suffer from complex long-term problems that will affect their relationships, their ability to lead an independent life and also affect their personality.
 Right from Cognitive effects, to coma and reduced awareness states, to communication problems, executive dysfunctions, emotional effects, hormonal imbalances, physical effects, post-traumatic amnesia, behavioural effects and
 1)    Cognitive Affects – This is the area affecting how a person ‘thinks’ ‘remembers’ and learns; basically all cognitive processes. Cognition refers to the act of ‘thinking’ or knowing’. So it includes the abilities to reason, choose, understand, remember and make use of information.

It includes – Memory, communication, problem solving, decision making, concentration, attention, controlling impulses, organisational skills and patience.
 2)    Physical Affects: This is the the area involving how the ‘physical’ body functions.

3)    Behavioural Affects: This area of the brain involves how a person behaves and ‘acts’. The most common emotional response is directly related to anger and the regulation of emotions. Irritability, lowered tolerance, agitatio and even impulsivity are also likely to lead to angry outbursts and are most commonly associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), but are also known to occur with other types/forms of brain injuries.

There are MANY ways to deal with these behavioural issues, but it can be very difficult for family members and partners or even friends to cope with. Brain injuries impact self-awareness and the person may not even a knowledge that they have trouble with their anger; often blaming other people. In order to gain sufficient self awareness.

It is very important to:

·      Gain structure in one’s life
·      Avoid impulsivity
·      Do not have unrealistic self expectations
·      Be extremely aware of personal thoughts, behaviours and physical states that are associated with anger, like sweating, raised voice, muscle stifness, etc.
·      It takes MANY years to learn these coping mechanisms so it also means relearning certain skills. It is important to maintain a record of triggers, events and associated levels of angers.
·      BACK-Off, Calm Down & TRY AGAIN technique! As easy as it sounds, it is important to:

•   Remove yourself from a heated situation when there are early signs of anger
•   Review the situation, untill you prepare to return
•   Move to a safe okace untill you have calmed down
•   Talk to other people, upon your return (if needed)    

 4)    Emotional Affects: This is the area of the brain which deal with how a person feels after the head injury, and these are absolutely INVISIBLE! The person may experience rapidly changing moods (emotional lability) pr they may even respond to situations with inappropriate emotions such as crying at good news or laughing at bad news. Anxiety and depression are two common emotional feelings that are caused by damage to the brains emotional control regions. Many emotions surface such as guilt, anger, sadness, insecurity, lost confidence, lost independence, etc.
 Anxiety:  Feeling anxious is quite normal, every NOW and then. However, if this emotion persists and nags in the form of a constant feeling of worry or fear, it is classified as a psychiatric disorder and can be of different types: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), agoraphobia, panic disorder and oanic attacks, seperation anxiety, selective mutism and specific phobias. Even obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic stress disorder are closely associated to anxiety disorders
 5) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Known to be one of the mental health problems, this disorder is a result after experiencing a traumatic event. It is a flight or fight response reaction taken by the body to protect him/her from harm. Some of the symptoms include relieving the trauma over and over again 0 especially the physical symptoms such as racing of the heart and sweating (flashbacks), nightmares, frightening thoughts, etc. It is a severe psychological reaction to a traumatic event and most commonly occurs after mild brain injuries.        

Side-Effects

       Have we all lost our sense of empathy, emotional stability?

A person who has suffered a brain injury is more likely to develop dementia. The worse the injury the greater the risk, shows a new Swedish study.

http://sciencenordic.com/traumatic-brain-injuries-linked-dementia-risks