Traumatic Brain Injuries Awareness Month

Brain Injury Traumatic

March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury that affects the way the brain works, as it can cause physical, sensory, cognitive, and behavioral changes. TBIs are usually caused by a blow or jolt to the head or an object penetrating the brain tissue. Traumatic Brain Injuries are the largest cause of death from injury in the US. 

Mild traumatic brain injuries may only affect the brain cells temporarily, while more serious ones can result in brain bruising, torn tissue, bleeding, and physical damage to the brain, which can result in long-term complications or death. TBIs can have a range of physical and psychological effects on a person. While some signs and symptoms may show quickly after an injury, others may take days or weeks to appear. 

The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury vary by the severity of the injury. The physical symptoms can include the following: loss of consciousness, a headache that is persistent and/or worsening, nausea/vomiting that can be single or repeated, fatigue/drowsiness, inability to wake from sleep, problems with speech, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination and dilation of one or both pupils.  Sensory symptoms can include blurred vision, ringing in the ears, a bad taste in the mouth, or changes in the ability to smell and sensitivity to light and sound. Cognitive and behavioral symptoms are described as the loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes, no loss of consciousness, but a state of being dazed, confused or disoriented, memory or concentration problems, mood changes or mood swings, feeling depressed or anxiousness, profound confusion as well as agitation, and combativeness with others.  

March is the time to raise awareness around the fact that these injuries can lead to permanent changes in someone’s daily life and advocacy regarding brain injuries. During this month, we can read information on brain injuries and become familiar with policies regarding those who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. 

Easing The Stress of Caring For Others

Caregiver

Happy National Caregivers Day! This is the day we honor all those who selflessly provide personal care and physical and emotional support to those they care for. One may care for their family, including children or other adult family members. It is estimated that, on average, caregivers spend six days a month completing tasks such as grooming, feeding, dressing, bathing, and walking, 13 days a month cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, and cooking, and 13 hours a month are spent coordinating appointments, after school activities and managing finances.

Caring for a loved one is stressful for even the most resilient person. Not everyone will experience the same level or intensity of stress, and the stress is natural. Feeling overwhelmed or stressed does not mean you are an inadequate caregiver; it just means you have a lot on your plate. Feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and defensiveness cause you to feel more stressed.

As a caregiver, you may be so focused on providing care to your loved one that you cannot see how your health and well-being are affected. What are some signs of caregiver stress? Maybe you are worrying a lot about everything, feeling burdened, tired, irritable, and/or sad, experiencing headaches, pains, or other medical issues, sleeping too much or not enough, gaining or losing weight, losing interest in things once enjoyable, and/or missing medical appointments for self. These symptoms resemble depressive and anxious symptoms.

Here are a few things you can do to ease the stress of caring for others.

Ask for help. Call your community and ask them to help out. Make a list of things someone else can take over to give you time for yourself.

Positive self-talk. We tend to be hard on ourselves and feel like we are not doing enough. Please remember that you are doing the best you can do right now.

Set goals that are reachable. Chunk the larger tasks into smaller steps that feel more manageable. Make lists and weigh the importance of each task. Try to follow a daily routine that will provide comfort and predictability.

Get connected. Explore and learn about caregiving resources in your area. You may find helpful resources like rides, meal delivery, or house cleaning.

Join a support group. This can help with the feelings of loneliness and feelings that no one else understands how it is to care for a loved one. Group members can cheer you on and help with the struggles you may be experiencing.

Stay connected. Things can get busy, and spending time with others may seem like it could be more challenging. However, for yourself, try to make time each week to visit with someone.

Take care of your health. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, find ways to sleep better, and do physical activity.

5 Tips To Help Transition Back To School

BaCK To School mental health

Transitioning from summer to school can be stressful and exciting for parents and students. Being Back to School Month, August has supported that transition since its celebration in the 1960s. The month has intended to stir up excitement and allow parents to prepare to send their kids back to school.  

Returning to school after a summer off can evoke stress and anxiety for parents and students. Parents may be stressed about the routine change of a new school year. Having to get up earlier, waking up the kids/teens, and getting them out the door on time can be more stressful than it needs to be. If required, setting up before and after-school programs may be stressful. Parents may worry about their academic performance, behaviors, and/or overall well-being at school. It can be stressful for parents not to know what is going on with their children/teens or what they are doing while they are away from them. They may worry if they will make the right choices and be respectful to others. 

As most parents know, worrying about our children is a part of parenting. Worrying is our minds’ way of trying to protect us from perceived danger, making us believe it is helpful. Worrying can be a part of everyday life unless it is excessive, leading to additional suffering, such as stress and anxiety. Constant worrying, negative thinking, and expecting the worst can wreak havoc on your emotional and physical health. This can cause you to feel restless and hypervigilant and experience an inability to sleep, relax and concentrate; you may experience headaches, muscle tension, or stomach problems. 

No one has ever stopped worrying because someone told them to, so learning ways to manage it may be most beneficial.  Here are a few tips that may help:

Control what you can in the situation.

Identify what within the situation you can control and brainstorm possible ways to control what you can. After identifying what you can control, create an action plan and make changes. Once you begin the action phase, you will start to feel better.  

Notice and name your feelings.

Sometimes worry creates distance from our feelings and pushes them away. Notice the thoughts that have made your feelings within the current situation. Taking a moment to notice and name your feelings has a calming effect on your nervous system. 

Challenge your thoughts.

Ask yourself, “What evidence do I have that this thought is true? Or not true?”, “How will worrying help me? Hurt me?”, “It there another more positive or realistic way to look at the situation?” or “What would I tell a friend having these thoughts?”. These questions can help create a more balanced perspective on the situation. 

Maintain open communication with your child/teen.

Have a calm conversation with them and ask them what worries they may have about the upcoming school year. You can share yours as well. This can spark a brainstorming session in which you might be able to create strategies or possible solutions to utilize together. 

Take time for yourself.

This can interrupt the worry and provide a reprieve from it. Do things you enjoy and calm you. This may be reading a book, taking a mindful walk, getting active, listening to music, going for a car ride or practicing deep breathing. Anything that is focused on you.