How we can help

Every brain injury is unique, however there are some common consequences after a brain injury. Below is a list of some common consequences after a brain injury and ways cognitive rehabilitation may help.

Decreased awareness of limitations after a brain injury- part of our brain, particularly our frontal lobe gives us feedback regarding how an injury has affected us. If there is damage to this area of the brain, we are often not as aware of our limitations and what is safe and not safe to do. When the brain doesn’t give us accurate feedback, we often need other ways to help us see what our limitations are. Decreased understanding of our limitations can be dangerous and is a very important step in the recovery process. Learn ways to increase your understanding of your limitations and be more effective in using strategies and healing from your injury. Some of these techniques include education, tracking sheets, feedback from others, questionnaires, video-taping and pre and post prediction of performance.

Fatigue- this is one of the most common limitations, over 70% of people with a brain injury experience this symptom. It can be physical, mental or psychological. It is out of proportion to what you have done and can feel very frustrating and debilitating. It has a significant impact on the ability to think effectively and function. Neurological fatigue is very different from normal fatigue and requires different management. Learn why it occurs and self management strategies to understand triggers and assist with the management of neurological fatigue.

Decreased attention- limited attention span, difficulty ignoring distractions and slower thinking. Do you find it harder to block out distractions, do you get off topic easily or distracted by other tasks when you are trying to complete something? Learn attention regulation strategies to limit distractions and refocus back to the task to complete goals effectively.

Decreased frustration tolerance-it is common to feel like your fuse is shorter and you get more easily frustrated, especially with an injury to your fontal lobe. Learn techniques to understand your triggers and help you manage this impulse more effectively.

Decreased planning and organization- does it feel harder to accomplish goals? Is it hard to know where to start, how to stay on track and complete goals within realistic time frames? Learn strategies to re-train your brain to set goals, plan steps and execute to accomplish goals.

Sleep changes- research shows that sleep disorders are three times more common in clients with a brain injury than in the general population and nearly 60% of people with a traumatic brain injury experience long-term problems with sleep. Sleep is a complex process that involves many different parts of the brain which is why there are a variety of different sleep problems after a brain injury dependent on the location of your injury. Sleep is a very important part of recovery, it sets down memories and assists with neural connections in your brain. Sleep helps you think more clearly and function better physically, emotionally and mentally. When you are having sleep problems they can worsen other problems you are having, you may feel tired, feel irritable, have headaches, feel cloudy in your thinking, have problems learning and remembering things. Your brain injury may affect your brain’s ability to make or use chemicals that help you fall and stay asleep. It is also possible that your brain's electrical rhythms have been disrupted. Pain, changes in breathing control, medications, alcohol, caffeine and depression can also impact sleep. The first step is to evaluate your sleep problem then learn sleep hygiene methods to help create a structured sleep/wake cycle and improve your sleep.

Decreased short term memory- do you find you forget details, names, information easily? Learn effective ways to manage your decreased memory through internal strategies if your limitation is mild, otherwise external memory systems for more moderate and severe memory limitations.

Decreased ability to recognize errors- do you make increased errors on tasks, leave off digits, repeat yourself without being aware? Learn ways to increase your ability to recognize errors as they occur and correct them as well as decrease the frequency of errors.