Brain Injury Bites

This is a special episode of brain injury bites recorded for ABI Week. This year's theme is 'See the hidden me' - basically about the hidden disability of brain injury.  Action For Brain Injury Week is an annual campaign in the UK to raise awareness of the devastating effects of brain injury. It's organised by Headway UK, a national charity that we've spoken about on several occasions before. That charity supports people who are survivors of brain injury and their friends, families, and carers. Helpful links: Headway UK: - Information library Headway UK: Brain Injury Identity Card For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 13: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Feeling sad after a serious injury is normal, but it could also be a sign of depression. We have touched on this topic briefly in previous episodes, but we think it's important to discuss this in more detail as it is such a big topic.  It's fair to say that many people will experience depression following a brain injury. In this episode, we will be talking about some of those symptoms and providing some help and advice.  Resources: Episode Twelve -Depression after a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Hidden Disability store Mind: the mental health charity Headway: Brain Injury Identity Card For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 12: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In this episode, we will be talking about dating and relationships. We've previously spoken about socialising as being part of the idea of love and belonging. But the other side to this is, of course, is romantic relationships and intimacy. We'll be talking to Brooke about his specific experiences around this area and then explore the issues that can arise in terms of change of dynamics in relationships and marriages following a brain injury and provide some helpful hints and tips.  For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 11: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In our latest episode, we talk about the importance of esteem. That feeling of confidence, accomplishment, and respect from others can have a significant impact on self-esteem. Ashwini and Brooke discuss this specifically in the context of what you do on a day to day basis. Whether that's work or something else, and how you go back to that after brain injury or not. Or otherwise, it might also be an opportunity to look at finding something else that you enjoy that has meaning for you. Resources: Episode ten - The importance of esteem after a brain injury - Information Sheet For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 10: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In previous episodes, we've talked about how having a brain injury can impact the injured person, but it's also important to acknowledge the wider impact of brain injury, and particularly the effect on family and friends - the people around the injured person.  Resources: Episode nine - The impact on family and friends after a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Headway: https://www.headway.org.uk/ Brain Injury Group: https://www.braininjurygroup.co.uk/ BASIC: https://www.basiccharity.org.uk/ UKABIF: https://ukabif.org.uk/ For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 9: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In this day and age, it's easy to go online, look at what other people are posting, immediately compare yourself, and think about what you might be missing out on. In this episode, we will be talking about not comparing yourself to other people. This topic ties back to one of our earlier episodes discussing socialising and the overwhelming feeling you need to fit in.  Resources: Episode eight - Comparing yourself to others - Information Sheet For additional resources, and transcript, follow the link below: Episode 8: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Tune into episode 7, where we discuss the impact of a brain injury on socialising and different things you can do to make this easier. Resources: Episode seven - Socialising after a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Headway Brain Injury Identity Card - https://www.headway.org.uk/supporting-you/brain-injury-identity-card/ For additional resources, and transcript, follow the link below: Episode 7: Resources and Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Coming to terms with a brain injury can be particularly difficult, and in this episode, we look at how this can impact you and your recovery and how important it is to accept these changes and the help you may need. Resources: Episode six - Coming to terms with a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Denial after a brain injury – struggling to come to terms with my brain injury (blog by Brooke) For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 6: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Listen to this episode where we discuss concentration and attention after a brain injury and how you can help improve this. It is important to point out, of course, that brain injury affects people in different ways, and so when we're talking about cognitive function, there could be all sorts of impacts in relation to attention, memory, and concentration as we've mentioned, but also processing, understanding, communication, decision making, planning and organisation.  Resources: Episode five - Experiencing problems with concentration and attention after a brain injury. - Information Sheet Helpful links: Headway - Cognitive effects of a brain injury NHS - Brain training app (recommended by the NHS) For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 5: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In a previous episode, we talked about the importance of routine, and we'll be talking about that again in the context of memory. We also spoke about Brooke's post-traumatic amnesia and how different people with brain injuries will experience symptoms differently. In this episode, we're going to touch on those issues again, which will focus on memory and hints and tips around memory issues following brain injury.  Resources: Episode four - Memory problems after a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Different types of memory problems after a brain injury To do lists/organisational skills - https://todoist.com/ Weekly Schedule - Download For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 4: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Fatigue is a symptom many people experience after a brain injury. In this episode, we discuss the impact of fatigue and the importance of rest. Resources: Episode Three - Dealing with fatigue and the importance of rest after a brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: To do lists/organisational skills - https://todoist.com/ Weekly Schedule - Download For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 3: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

In this episode, we'll be talking more about the journey of being in a hospital, how as an injured person, it felt like being in hospital and also tips for friends and family members who might have a loved one in hospital after a brain injury. Resources: Episode Two - Journey in the hospital - Information Sheet Helpful links: Journey after major trauma - https://www.gmccmt.org.uk/major-trauma/patient-journey/ Visiting someone in the hospital - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/going-into-hospital/visiting-someone-in-hospital/ Post-traumatic amnesia - https://www.headway.org.uk/about-brain-injury/individuals/effects-of-brain-injury/post-traumatic-amnesia/ Article on confabulation (by Michelle Munt) - https://www.cfglaw.co.uk/blog/why-a-brain-injury-can-cause-confabulation Headway information library - https://www.headway.org.uk/about-brain-injury/individuals/information-library/ For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 2: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

This is a series of podcasts based on the experiences of sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Brooke and Ashwini will be talking about specific experiences and providing advice to those who might be going through a similar thing. They'll also be looking at what support, help and advice are available to those who are suffering the effects of a brain injury. We'll be looking at the basic needs that someone has immediately after a brain injury and how we can progress them in their recovery. In episode one, we share an introduction to the series and discuss the immediate aftermath of trauma and sustaining a brain injury, particularly Brooke's collision and his family's experience. Resources: Episode One: The early days after brain injury - Information Sheet Helpful links: Glasgow Coma Scale Golden hour trauma Research For a transcript, follow the link below: Episode 1: Transcript To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram Notice: Information and other content provided in this Podcast should not be taken as providing medical advice or recommendations. Please always consult your doctor or treating team for medical advice.

Hello, and welcome to Brain Injury Bites, a series of bite-sized podcasts helping brain injury survivors. This is a series of podcasts based around the experiences of sustaining a brain injury, and provides helpful hints and tips for injured people, their friends and family. To keep up to date with our podcast, follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter Facebook Instagram