Following a brain injury individuals may experience changes in their personality and in their ability to learn. Consequently, both the traumatic brain injury survivor, as well as their family and friends, may experience an unfamiliar frustration.
Frustration may be compounded because the brain-injured person may look “normal” i.e. as though nothing has happened to them. Recently I heard someone say, “She was in a car accident several months ago, but she is fine. She just had a head injury.”
People who have experienced brain injuries may have changes in their ability to learn, remember and grasp new tasks or remember old ones. Activities of daily living may subsequently become laborious and even daunting for the individual impacted by a brain-injury. Once simple tasks take huge amounts of effort and energy. Executing and practicing once familiar tasks become a struggle. The individual may consequently experience increasing anxiety and fatigue.
Different People Learn in Different Ways
Through my experience, I have found that there are different learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Some people learn best through a combination of these three learning styles, while others learn predominantly through the use of one or two of these styles. Through testing, I discovered that I learn best through two of the three styles. When auditory (listening to instructions) and kinesthetic (show me and let me do) are combined my learning aptitude increases and I am better able to learn the new material.
My learning disability, created by my brain injury necessitates that I learn through repetition and persistence. I have also discovered that my ability to learn tasks is hampered when sequences of information are presented to me. I am unable to remember those sequences even though they are given to me auditorily. My learning, as a result, comes at a slower pace. Because I have difficulty learning new sequences of information, I need to have a list of the steps in the sequence to follow while I learn the task. I also need to have more time to process new information. Through my ongoing process as a traumatic brain injury survivor, I have developed other strategies to enhance my learning process.
Your learning style may have changed following your brain injury my friend. Consequently, the manner in which you learn may have changed; resulting in you being frustrated with life.
Have Your Counselor Test Your Learning Style
My encouragement to you my friend would be to discover how you best learn. Are you a visual learner, an auditory learner or a kinesthetic learner? In the event that you have experienced a traumatic brain injury, your learning style may have changed for you. As a result, you may be attempting to learn in ways that no longer work for you.
How You Learn May Have Changed
Consequently, you may need to ask your counselor or caseworker to test your learning style so that you can maximize your rehabilitation process. Once you have explored and discovered how you now learn best, you can develop strategies to enhance your ongoing recovery process.
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I too suffered a TBI. I mostly was intrigued by your caption “Second Chance To Live”. It has been only 1 year since my rebirth as I call it.
This blog is extremely close to my heart. I was just discussing this very topic with my psychologist as well. As I returned to work too early and am trying to figure out exactly how to be great at what I do once again. I know I will be one day; it will take relearning how to perform the same tasks via different methods.
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I am proud of you Jennifer. I am happy to know you are being benefited through the articles I have written and published in Second Chance to Live. Identification rather than comparision helps us heal and not feel so isolated. Many brain injuries are invisible in nature. Please read my post, https://secondchancetolive.org/2007/04/18/the-power-of-identification/.
Have a great day my friend. Thank you again for your time and kindness
God bless you.
Craig
Hi,
I am very inspired by your story, & I plan on getting your book. I have a question for you and I would be ever so grateful if you could help me out. First off let me start by explaining the situation. My best friend was in a car accident where he was thrown from the car on November 10, 2008 He sustained very serious brain trauma, some broken ribs and both legs were broken bad enough that he had to have steel rods and surgery. He was in a coma (per say) for about 3 weeks and then he woke up, only to find that he couldn’t walk, talk, or anything. One doctor said that he had a slight stroke but they were not sure. He can blink his eyes and answer your questions like…. 2 for yes 3 for no things of that nature. He blinks and says he knows who everyone is, I’m not sure if he does in fact know or if he is just trying to show us that he is trying. He does have someone working with him doing physical therapy but I guess my question for you is what can I do to stimulate the parts of his brain to make those body parts work and for him to talk?
Thank You so Very Much
Brittany
Hi Brittany,
Thank you so very much for taking the time to write to me. Per my book, Table Topics for the Soul — Journey to the Heart I never found a publisher so you will not be able to find the book. I am sorry my friend. I hope to at some point — if I find a publisher who is interested — in making many of my articles from Second Chance to Live into a book. Please pray that God would help me do this by bringing a reputable publisher across my path. Thank you my friend.
Thank you also for sharing with me about your best friend. You friend is a miracle. They have gone through a tremendous ordeal. Because I am not a Doctor or a neurologist I do not know how to best advise you as to how to stimulate the parts of you friends brain to revive his body parts or for him to be able to talk. I am sorry that I can not be more helpful to you on that front my friend. I simply do not have knowledge or experience as to how to empower your friends abilities. If possible I would encourage you to speak with his neurologist. Possibly he / she could give you specific suggestions per your friends specific neurology after the accident.
One thought just came to mind. Music. I believe I have read some where that playing classical music can invigorate the brains function. I Have a friend who is studying to be a music therapist and she told of a recent incident where she and another student were working with some one with a brain tumor and is in a similar situation as your friend. After my friend worked with the individual with a brain tumor, the nurse rushed into the patients room and reported that the individuals vital signs had not been as good before they began working with the individual. You may like to check with some one who does music therapy as they may give you some suggestions concerning how you may use music to enliven your friend. Let me know if this helps my friend.
I would also encourage you to read through the articles in my Site Map https://secondchancetolive.org/site-map/ as my articles would provide both insights and comfort to you. I have lived with my brain injury for close to 42 years. If you have questions as you read through my articles, please feel free to ask me Brittany. I am available for you. Please say hello to your friend for me and tell him that I am proud of him. He is a winner!!!
Thank you again for writing and sharing a little about your self and your friend.
Have a pleasant evening Brittany.
Craig