Handling Difficulties following a Head Injury
by Mike James
Suffering from a head injury, isn’t like taking time out to heal a broken bone or recover from a sickness.
It can have an extreme effect on the life of the person afflicted and lives of the people around them.
Depending on the age of the individual, they may require attending to or they may require around the clock care.
Those more at risk are the elderly and they can suffer for longer periods of time or even permanently, but that is not to say that younger victims of head injury are going to have no issues whatsoever.
As a family member or carer of a victim to a head injury, you may find yourself facing some stressful times, particularly if the individual has sustained permanent damage or lack of oxygen to the brain.
The head and the brain are seriously complex parts of the body; they contain all the cells that make up our very mind and body, so when serious injury occurs, there can be some debilitating after effects.
We’ll have a look at a few effects of the aftermath of a head injury and will hope to provide advice on how to cope with these issues.
Memory Lapses
Following a head injury, obviously the brain can feel a little out of sorts and this plays havoc with your memory. This can include both short term and long term memory which can be quite saddening.
Victims may forget having been to visit a place before, or they may forget an important memory they share with a family member. This is where photos are useful as they provide a window back into that memory which might help the individual.
However the more common of the two is that new learning is hard to obtain, meaning new information is not easily stored and can take a few tries. When this happens, it is important to get the individual into the habit of writing down important information or taking notes that they can refer back to.
Behavioural Problems
Some sufferers may experience behavioural problems or increased aggression. A tendency to be hostile can be damaging in some situations, but it is important to try to diffuse the situation in order to calm the individual down. So long as there is no physical threat, there are a few things you can do to help the situation.
Try to understand the source of the frustration, if you can assist in a problem you can help to diffuse their irritation.
You could also offer a compromise or negotiate with the individual if they have an issue with certain planned aspects (such as them getting annoyed you have an appointment; offer to spend time with them another day).
Do not undermine those feelings of irritation or anger; loss of physical or cognitive capabilities is a reasonable explanation for frustration so it is important not to belittle these feelings.
Awareness and Concentration
When you suffer from a head injury, both your mental and physical capabilities can be affected. One of the most common side effects of head injuries is an affliction with spatial awareness and concentration. The individual may ‘zone out’ for periods of time or lose their train of thought, trailing off in the middle of the sentence. Gentle cues and reminders are helpful when this happens, simply repeat the question or try to simplify it. Be patient.
Again, writing notes is a good idea to help injury sufferers to get their bearings. Make sure to keep things familiar in the household to avoid upset; don’t change the organisation of things! When concentration is affected, try to remove distractions from the individual. Keep noise to a minimum and try to stick to one task at a time so as not to overwhelm the individual.
Personality Changes
Not drawing attention to these personality changes is a good idea. If family members or friends keep mentioning who they were ‘before’ this can be upsetting and confusing to the individual.
Even if the personality changes aren’t necessarily for the good, your friend has suffered enough and does not need to be reminded of how they were ‘before’.
Of course not everything is going to be right as rain if your friend or family member has suffered an intense head injury, but they cannot get through this alone. Offering familiar support and in some cases requesting legal assistance all helps in getting their feet back on track.
There is no shame in asking for help, however it often comes to light that those most in need of help are unable to ask for it themselves.
Article provided by Mike James, working together with personal injury and brain injury specialist lawyer firm George Ide LLP.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy. Any links on this page does not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness.
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