Critical Skills to Learn in Brain Injury Rehabilitation

1. Critical Skills to Learn inBrain Injury Rehabilitation Overcoming Anxiety, Frustration,Anger & Depression Robert J. Hamilton BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

2. Brain Injury Problem #1Anxiety, Frustration, Anger & Depression BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

3. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

4. The Goal of Rehabilitation Improve Perceived Quality of Life! BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

5. Why Not Better? • Stress effects are not appreciated. • Unconscious effects are major contributors to stress and they are not easy to change. • Everyone has different “stress tolerance” and mood “set point”. • Practice, Practice, Practice. • Patience, Patience, Patience. • Dependent upon pre-accident. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

6. First Steps to Understanding • ♦ You Do Not Know Brain Injury • ♦ People are Different ♦ It is Impossible to Predict Brain Injury • ♦ Hope is Your Most Important Ally ♦ It Will Take “Too Much” Time ♦ There Will Be Setbacks • ♦ You Help the Process but the Survivor Must Do the Work ♦ Much of the Support System is Broken Brain Injury Association of Texas 2010 Conference

7. Stress Effects on the Body • Increases heart, respirationand perspiration rates. • Decreases blood vessel diameterand stops digestion. • Changes hormone & brain chemistry. • Reduces mental flexibilityand awareness. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

8. Following Brain Injury • Effects of stress are often greater. • Can lead to severe anxiety (“panic attacks”), Major digestive problemsand inability to “think”. • Often leads to “drastic” behavior. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

9. Sources of Stress History of Failure  Expectations Sensitivity to Noise Changes in Ability Changes in Taste Language Difficulty Sleep Difficulty Sexual Problems Pain Inability to Predict Reminders of Past Mis-Understanding Memory Problems Changes in Body Lack of Awareness Inflexible Thinking Slowed Thinking Multi-tasking BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

10. Subconscious History • Belief system- how things “fit” in world. • Operate on “Autopilot” - based mostly on subconscious beliefs & interpretations from previous experience. • Habits control much of our lives. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

11. First We Must Be Aware of Stress • We must always be aware of our current “stress” level. • We must develop the habit of self-monitoring anxiety and frustration. • And we must apply stress reduction techniques WHENEVER we see increasing stress. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

12. 3 Step Stress Control • STOP - what you are doing. • WALK AWAY - leave if possible. • CHANGE YOUR THINKING - Reframe your perceptions if you cannot STOP or LEAVE. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

13. Internal Thoughts Stimulus Response BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

14. Auto Response Evaluate Stimulus New Response Goals New Internal Thoughts BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

15. But to Use this Process • You must have hope in future! • You must have goals! • You must have plans! BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

16. Stress Relievers • Exercise - Stretching, Yoga, Tai Chi, Swimming • Deep Breathing - Health Benefits • Humor - Health Benefits • Use Compensation Aids. • Prioritize. • Be Positive & Be Selective. • Have spiritual/religious belief. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

17. To Have Max Rehab Success • First you must break control stress has on your life! • It is not easy to do! • It may be long-term problem. • Use you support system. • Share! BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

18. BI Rehab Is Holistic • Look after yourself Physically - Exercise Be Careful Nutritionally - Eat Right Mentally - Control Stress Enjoy • Appreciate Family/Helpers BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

19. I have seen the enemy and It Is Us ! BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

20. Caregivers/Professionals • Be Understanding & Empathetic. • Do Not Patronize. • Don’t Hold Things Against Us. • Be Realistic but Positive & Hopeful. • Do Not Give Up on Us. • Take Care of Yourself. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

21. March 1992 BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

22. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

23. Physical Injuries ♦ 75+ broken bones ♦ Internal injuries ♦ “Severe” traumatic brain injury BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

24. Injury Aftermath ♦ Very poor short-term memory ♦ Could not remember anything “routine” from my past ♦ Had to re-learn to speak & walk ♦ Spatial disorientation ♦ Sensitivity to sound and stress ♦ Changed vision ♦ Could not multi-task ♦ Extreme emotional fluctuations ♦ Poor judgment BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

25. Robert J. Hamilton, BA Trained as electrical engineer at University of California, Santa Barbara, California Institute of Technology, and University of Southern California. Employed as a researcher at China Lake Naval Weapons Center, JPL and Hughes Aircraft Company. Assistant Professor at Purdue University and ResearchAssociate at University of Illinois, Champaign. Captain for American Airlines. BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

26. Wanted to Help Others ♦ Co-taught at Richland CC ♦ Traveled to seminars ♦ Returned to grad school at UNT ♦ Taught classes ♦ New research BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

27. After University ♦ Therapist at Neuropsychologist ♦ Presented at seminars ♦ Joined BIATX ♦ Coordinated research/teaching ♦ Board member TBIAC ♦ Consultant to HRSA ♦ LPC, NCC, CRC & CBIS BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD

28. Thank You for Your Attention! Bob Hamilton eegrobert@sbcglobal.net Center for Brain Injury Education, Inc. cbie@sbcglobal.netcenterforbraininjuryeducation.org BIATX/CBIE Critical Skills CS DVD