Hello and welcome back to Second Chance to Live my friend. I am happy to have you around my table. Recently my friend Ken Collins posted a Facebook message, ” Over the years some of the biggest obstacles I have had to overcome are from professionals in the field of brain injury. There have been many times when my words about my recovery have fell on deaf ears. This is something I have never understood because it sure seems to me that the successes I have made should be helpful to those professionals and the people with brain injuries they provide services to. Unfortunately, this has not been the case…”
Thank you Ken for what you have done over the years and what you continue to do to enhance the recovery process and quality of life for individuals, who like ourselves; are living with the impact of a brain injury. Thank you for your service Sir.
Thank you also for posting the above on Facebook. What you shared has been my experience too.
It is mystifying to me. Seems like what we have to offer would enhance what the “professionals” are seeking to accomplish. During my keynote presentation at the 2013 Southwest Conference on Disability I sought to encourage the blending of what we as survivors bring to the table with what professional bring to the table. My subsequent attempts to enhance what the professional community brings to the table through Second Chance to Live has also fallen on deaf ears. It is hard to exactly know why my attempts to enhance brain injury recovery has been, in effect; trivialized by the “professional community”.
What I do know is that the professional community, by it’s trivialization; has in effect minimized, marginalized, dismissed and discounted what people like Ken and myself bring to the table. Our attempts to enhance the recovery process of brain injury survivors is met with patronization. I have also had a similar experience when ever I have contacted and sought to be of service to brain injury associations, brain injury alliances, brain injury recovery centers, hospitals offering brain injury rehabilitation and recovery and be of service to the support groups connected to these associations and organizations — nationally and internationally.
This does not make sense to me as I share strategies and information — through the articles that I write and the video presentations that I create — that have empowered my recovery process, enhanced my quality of life and given me hope as an individual living the impact of a severe brain injury when I was 10 years old. I am now 57. To gain insight into my process, click on this link: Detailed About Page
In so far as credentials, if these are necessary to be heard; I have obtained a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and have earned my Ph.D in brain injury recovery through 47 years in the “trenches”. My dissertation is found in the 1300 articles that I have written and in the 243 video presentations that I have created. My articles and video presentations contain practical resources for facing, addressing and overcoming adversity. My articles and video presentations provide practical hope and encouragement for brain injury survivors and their families. What I offer is from tested experience.
In March of 2014 I asked a question of “brain injury professionals” in my article and video presentation, Beyond Brain Injury Awareness Month – Why are Brain Injury Survivors Told to Sit in the Back of the Bus?. No one has yet to get back to me. It is now November 2014 and I am still waiting for some one in the “professional community serving brain injury survivors” to reply. I would love to hear from anyone in the professional community serving brain injury survivors through their research, programs, associations, alliances, recovery centers and “support groups”.
Below is a link to both the article and video presentation to the article: Beyond Brain Injury Awareness Month – Why are Brain Injury Survivors Told to Sit in the Back of the Bus?
As you listen to, watch or read my articles and questions come to mind, please send those questions to mind. All questions are good questions. In the event that you would like to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.To do so, please use the below contact form. I will respond to your comments and questions.
[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]I look forward to hearing from you.
Craig
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