Brain Recovery Support System

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook for Updates on Concussion, Brain Injury

I spend a fair amount of time following various news media, military blogs and news sources, and scientific experts on concussion and brain injury as well as ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism.  I regularly tweet, retweet, and share this information on Facebook.

If you would like a window on this world, without having to spend a lot of time trawling the internet,  you can find me on social media (see links).

Twitter – Dr. Clair Hinckley @TBIDrClair

Facebook – A-Z Learning Alternatives, LLC – Brain Recovery Support Systems

Brain Injured Veterans Need Friends, Family, Each Other

One of the sad consequences of brain injury is isolation.  People just don’t understand the situation when the wound is invisible.  Slowed or altered social responses and disinhibition (saying or doing whatever pops into your head without considering whether it is politic or tactful)  can put off friends and family.  Personality changes, some trivial (the friend who inspired my interest in TBI now likes vegetable he used to spurn), others more disconcerting, also can puzzle and turn off people who don’t understand.  Veterans are used to teamwork. This sense of connection is one of the facets of military life that spurs re-enlistment among healthy military folk, and one of the things they miss during recovery from injuries.  Some survivors are isolated in remote areas, others by the effects of their injuries.  In any case, helping them reconnect with peers who actually understand their situation is a smart approach to treatment.

This story supports my belief that working with groups of veterans and helping them connect online is a good idea:

http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/Lt_Col_Tim_Maxwell_Story-a.pdf?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=BrainLineMilitarySM

New Concerns About Long Term Effects of TBI for Veterans

When are politicians going to address the problems Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are facing and the social and financial implications for all of us?  TBI alone is creating a backlog of only partially rehabilitated veterans, which could mean that many of these vets will be unemployed or underemployed for the rest of their lives. Then we have to consider the increased potential for mental deterioration later in life due to TBI. . . .   The news is not good but too few people seem to notice.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/degenerative-brain-disease-afghan-war-vets_n_1783293.html