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How to Communicate Effectively After a Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be a game-changer for many families, particularly when considering the legal ramifications surrounding the head injury. Usually, the TBI victim will experience a personality shift and have less control of their emotions. For family members, this can mean tough times ahead and potentially even safety issues. Read the following tips for understanding and coping with TBI.

The Condition

As each victim of TBI experiences a variety of complex symptoms, you have to first identify that something is wrong. Sometimes, patients will suffer from seizures, headaches, dizziness, concentration problems, and memory issues. Families often struggle to cope with the large psychological changes to their loved ones. He or she may display…

Chronic fatigue. It may be that the TBI victim seems to sleep incessantly. Try to keep your family member to a schedule, to help them through this difficult feeling.

Anger. Even sweet-minded individuals can suddenly change to bad tempered, if they’ve suffered from a TBI. They will get frustrated easily. So try to be as patient as possible.

Emotional. Controlling emotions is something TBI sufferers really struggle with. The best you can do is surround them with a calm environment free of stimuli and help them handle their feelings.

Insensitivity. The TBI victim may not react well to social cues and will not often understand that they’ve done anything wrong. They may make inappropriate comments.

No focus. Organising their thoughts is a problem for TBI sufferers. They may move from project-to-project, leaving all unfinished. Try your best to keep them on track.

Restlessness. Attention spans may be limited drastically and your family member may become agitated, as a result.

Stay Safe

Where possible, remain emotionally distant from any outbursts the TBI victim makes. Don’t take it personally – they can’t help it; it’s a neurological problem. Take steps to create a safety plan, if behaviour starts to get out of hand.

Create a safe place where everyone will gather, if the TBI victim is threatening the safety of others. Try to remain calm at all times. If there’s a direct reason for the outburst, try to remove it. There’s no point engaging in a rational argument. Develop a ‘time-out’ signal that is non-verbal. Make this sign when the family member is displaying overtly negative behaviour to show them that they’ve overstepped the mark.

Medication should be a last resort for serious temper problems.

Boost Communication

When talking to the TBI victim, speak slowly, simply, and clearly. Being negative can trigger an outburst, so try to remain as positive as possible. Repeatedly disagreeing with the individual can lead to disruptive behaviour.

Check often that you’re on the same page – don’t just assume things. When the TBI victim starts getting upset, distraction is the best policy. Humour can be a good tool, but try a different topic of conversation or get them to do something practical.

Reduce criticism of the individual and don’t embarrass them by discussing their condition in front of others.

But most of all, take special care of yourself. It’s easy to get wrapped up in someone else’s neurological issues and take the entire burden on your own shoulders. Find a little ‘you’ time.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by VS Law .