How To Live With Brain Damage & Depression

You are facing a double challenge, brain damage and depression. But this current situation does not need to be your permanent status. It is possible to learn new ways of thinking and new ways to talk to yourself internally. And creativity will come out of finding new ways of thinking about the hand work that will also build a better brain.

Things You'll Need

• A DBT therapist and skills group A craft or hobby involving repeated working with one's hands Friends

Show More

Instructions

Growing strong again

• 1

  Recognize your depression. After any loss of function, it is normal to feel grief at what you are no longer able to do and wonder what your life can be now. Some brain injuries are extremely obvious, such as a closed head injury in a motor vehicle accident or combat, or a massive stroke. Others are more subtle, such as being knocked unconscious briefly, or having a non-obvious stroke or some other episode of low oxygen. So you probably are looking for this topic because you or someone you love has brain damage and is depressed. Again, depression is a normal reaction to loss. But that's the starting place, not the stopping place.

• 2

  Get help. Part of depression, in addition to grieving the loss, is in reaction to our thoughts and reactions to our situation. It is rational to think, I'm really frustrated that I can't remember things I used to remember easily, or I'm not as agile as I used to be. Most people, unfortunately, don't stop there but start having thoughts that they will always be in this situation of loss and they'll never be useful or skilled again. That's where the depression escalates and getting help can help change self-depressing behaviors to self-enhancing behaviors. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has helped many 'hopeless' people grow past their depression. By developing skills and new coping strategies to counter the patterns that keep people stuck in unhappiness, DBT respectfully encourages and challenges people to act differently and focus on additional ways of being in the world. The book "The Mindful Way through Depression" outlines these techniques.

• 3

  Join a DBT group or skills training group. In such a group, a person checks in weekly about how suicidal they are feeling, and listens to other group members who are also struggling with self-esteem and sadness. The list of DBT trained clinicians is attached. A group is less costly than individual therapy and can help a depressed person feel less isolated by hearing these other people who appear successful in their lives also have been quite depressed. In a group, hearing another member overcome a struggle, is encouraging.

• 4

  Follow an interest that involves working with your hands. Babies build brain networks by being very engaged with their world, touching everything they see and learning what can be done with it, even very unconventional things. Brain injured people, whether from a stroke or from a trauma, can use the same technique. Knitting, painting, gardening, woodworking, making models, cooking, all these types of activities help build brain networks by using the brain. Repeated activity like sanding or knitting can make weak networks stronger by using the pathways more and more. Physical therapy exercises have the same function.

• 5

  Reach out to other people who have a similar interest. Try a monthly knitters group, a regular get-together with people who are doing your hobby, or maybe volunteering with a local scout troop or at the local school in the shop program.