Creating a fun environment is one of the best ways to stimulate the brain and boost motivation. Sometimes adding stimulus to the environment like music or a deadline can help a survivor stay focused on tasks and complete them in a timely manner.
After brain injury a person may show decreased or lost motivation and drive, and have difficulty planning and carrying out activities. They may experience loss of interest and enjoyment of previous enjoyed activities and interests.
It is possible to have a brain injury without having symptoms, but they may surface weeks later. The patient may suddenly experience headaches or dizziness, and it is possible not to remember having the injury. The patient may also have mental health symptoms such as depression or anxiety. Or be more fatigued.
Can the brain heal after being injured? Most studies suggest that once brain cells are destroyed or damaged, for the most part, they do not regenerate. However, recovery after brain injury can take place, especially in younger people, as, in some cases, other areas of the brain make up for the injured tissue.
Brain injuries can have significant effects on behaviour, impacting impulse control and self awareness. These effects stem from damage to areas of the brain that regulate emotions and impulses and include anger, impulsive behaviour, self-centeredness, impaired awareness and even violence.
These changes may affect a person's ability to function in their everyday life. Despite initial hospitalization and inpatient rehabilitation services, about 50% of people with TBI will experience further decline in their daily lives or die within 5 years of their injury.
PARENTS WITH TBI
Make sure to get enough sleep, choose to eat healthy foods, and engage in exercise or some form of physical activity. It is also helpful to spend some time away from parenting to do something that makes you happy.
If you wake up every morning and feel like “the thrill is gone,” you may have a dopamine deficiency. Dopamine is the main brain chemical responsible for making us feel motivated. More than just feeling fatigued and moody though, a low dopamine level plays a role in many mental disorders.
The nucleus accumbens, a brain structure located in the ventral striatum, creates a functional link between the limbic system and motor system and plays a pivotal role in motivational behaviors.
The anterior cingulate cortex (attention area) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (cognitive control area) are the main neural circuits related to regulation of motivation.
People with TBI may also have changes in their thinking abilities, such as memory, attention, speed of thinking, and reasoning. These changes can cause them to feel overwhelmed if they can't remember things or keep up with what others are doing or saying. They may respond emotionally, with sadness, worry, or anger.
Anxiety and depression are common. Personality (mood) changes, mood swings, and difficulty controlling impulses can also be an issue. The challenges associated with life after a TBI and the emotional and personality changes that sometimes go along with it can also contribute to relationship difficulties.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)
Diffuse axonal injuries are one of the most severe types of traumatic brain injury. They occur when the brain is shaken or twisted inside the skull.
A plethora of complications from traumatic brain injuries, ranging from minor cognitive delays to debilitating and life threatening symptoms such as seizures and coma, can follow the victim for years after the injury. You need to know that brain injury recovery time can take anywhere from a few weeks to ten years.
A seeming lack of emotion is a common symptom of brain injury. However, most people with this problem do not actually lack emotions. Rather, they have limited ability to show signs of emotion with their facial expressions or voice, and typically demonstrate less reaction to emotional stimuli.
Can a brain injury get worse over time? Yes it can, but it can also improve. Causes of decline after brain injury may vary, but there are certain approaches you can take to encourage recovery.
It causes headaches, confusion, memory problems, and nausea. In a moderate brain injury, symptoms can last longer and be more pronounced. In both cases, most patients make a good recovery, although even in mild brain injury 15% of people will have persistent problems after one year.
An individual with TBI may have difficulty focusing, paying attention, or attending to more than one thing at a time. Difficulty concentrating may lead to restlessness and being easily distracted or they may have difficulty finishing a project or working on more than one task at a time.