Tag Archives: cognitive difficulties

Here is some “info”, that I summarised from a radio interview with a UK film-maker by the name of William Fairbank (http://www.williamfairbank.com) talking about the “hidden handicap, the silent epidemic”. (“It could have been me speaking” . . . but not nearly as eloquently* as William!)

*big word, eh!

Head injury has become a common problem throughout the world. Many of the more severe injuries are related to road traffic and horse riding accidents. As an example, in Great Britain about 15 patients every hour are admitted to hospital for observation, because of head injury and every 2 hours one of these will die. Head injury is implicated in 1 of all deaths and 50% OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DEATHS. Head injury is particularly prevalent in the age group between 10 and 25. CONCUSSION has occurred, whenever patients cannot remember the actual blow that made them unconscious.

*

WILLIAM FAIRBANKS Interview with Kathryn Ryan on National Radio (4th Feb 2010)

LONG-TERM BRAIN INJURY

“There is excellent medical care immediately post-trauma. However, there is little follow-up after the initial trauma. Every day I have to come to terms with my brain injury, to learn. I don’t handle interruptions. It’s like being in a movie. Each person with a brain injury is different…and is affected in different ways. I do one thing at a time – break into little tasks. I really live in the present. No-one ever explained to me how to cope, how to deal with everyday living. I had to learn strategies for myself.

Difficulties in ‘making connections’:

I can only handle “one-on-one” situations. I can’t hold two thoughts in my mind at the same time. A ringing phone will interrupt my thought and sequence. I easily lose the ‘flow’ of the task I was engaged in. Then I have difficulty wondering what to do next! I have to clear clutter to simplify my life. Get easily ‘thrown’ Head injured people are often self absorbed. (Probably helps them cope with life through focussing??)

NB Everyone with a head injury is affected differently.

No-one can understand my problems, because I appear to be a lucid, intelligent man. I’m fine here now doing ONE thing.

I want to contact artists: musicians, sculptors, poets, writers who have had a brain injury. So many people who have suffered a head injury write and draw; they channel it into some form of art.

Doctors don’t understand brain injury and especially the effects, the cognitive difficulties people have; because the effects are so subtle (yet can have a huge effect on their lives). Head injury acts as a filter, a “block”. It’s such a fine-line brain-injured people have compared with normal-thinking people.

I can’t visualise and have big problems with my short-term memory. It can be so FRUSTRATING (GRRRR) and often leads to mood swings and severe emotional problems.

Finally…

“Still don’t let what you can’t do, interfere with what you CAN do.” Continue reading →