“The Voice of those affected by Head Injury”
“Te Korero o ratou kau pangia i nga mate ki te mahunga”
NewslettersPresident's Report President's ReportThe last year has seen steady growth in our Head Office, Waikato and Southland affiliates. The need for advocacy and information for both our clients and their families has continued to grow. Joan Limmer has been our representative on the steering committee that has been contracted to produce a National TBI Guidelines Manual. This will assist agencies dealing with head injuries and to ensure a comprehensive national standard of rehabilitation takes place which will be available in November. It has been important that our voice has been heard in the production of this manual. We have been successful in obtaining ACC grants for both Head Office and Waikato to set up support and educational groups in Wellington and Waikato. We have found the grants to be very beneficial to the Society and thank ACC for the foresight to engage with HISNZ. While the Executive continue to meet each month, in March next year's AGM to be held in Wellington we however had our meeting in Invercargill and then went on to attend on to attend and support Southland at their AGM. I personally found this very helpful in building our strength and support for each other in our work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Executive for their work. I also want to particularly thank our Field Officers in Waikato and Southland, who do a tremendous job and also the office staff that work along side them. Without their work we would not be able to assist head injured people and their families. Our CEO Ron Turner left the Society in April to travel overseas and in May we welcomed Chriztine Gemmell to our team. Chriz has a background of keen interest in TBI. She had previously worked at ACC and is currently studying to be a clinical psychologist. She presented a paper at the 6th World Congress on TBI in Melbourne in May 2005 on the benefit of Tai Chi for head injured people. We are working towards using her expertise in this area to benefit our clients. Within the Society we have had contracts over the last 12 months for educating and training prison nurses and staff, teachers, teacher aids and pupils, Radio education and information programmes. We would like to see an expansion in all these areas and also the production of highly visible advertising for the prevention of head injury such as billboards, supermarket trolley adverts. We have been quietly working away on the development of a service for Maori and Pacific Peoples. It is recognized that these communities within our society have a high level of head injuries and for many reasons do not get access to services .This is an area that we believe we can have an impact on improving their quality of life. Chriz has started working on this project. We have undertaken to produce brochures in Maori and Pacific Peoples languages. I personally feel positive that our organization will continue to grow and remain as a stakeholder within the community. Kind Regards, Maxine Gillard HISNZ AGM 24 September, 2005 REPORTHISNZ held their Annual General Meeting on 24 of September in Invercargill. There was an excellent turn out from the locals and others who attended from Waikato and Wellington. On Saturday morning a presentation on Tai Chi and Brain Injury was presented to committee members and the public. Everyone also got to do some Tai Chi setting the pace for a very relaxing afternoon!! Future research on head injury and a larger scale study was also discussed. The election of executive members took place which were: President : Maxine Gillard, Vice President:: Joan Limmer, Secretary: Chriztine Gemmell, Members: Kevin Kini, Marian Roblin, Jim Ogilvey, and John Broad. A special executive meeting was held after the AGM to discuss future directions of HISNZ. Special thanks to Mrs Kini who provided a most delicious spread on site which kept us going all day. Also thanks to Robyn, John, Kevin, Jim, and the rest of the Invercargill team who made us feel most welcome and demonstrated excellent team work and unity to host the AGM. Next years AGM to be held in Wellington. 6th World Congress on Brain Injury, Melbourne 2005Tai Chi Chuan (or Tai Chi) is a Chinese Martial Art that has been shown to improve mood, balance, coordination, cardiovascular and respiratory functions, fatigue, general wellbeing, motor skills, and to reduce stress. Research on the efficacy of Tai Chi has mainly been conducted with older adults with little emphasis in other populations and none focused on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Chriztine Gemmell presented the results of a pilot study conducted in Wellington, New Zealand that evaluated the outcomes of Tai Chi on the symptoms associated with TBI and outlined a larger project currently underway. The pilot study, a small randomized controlled trial involved 10 participants taking a 6-week course in Tai Chi held twice a week for 45 minutes. There was also a control group that was on a wait list. Participants were recruited through the Head Injury Society of New Zealand. Positive immediate effects were revealed on mood and stress levels pre and post each Tai Chi session. Baseline, mid course, end of course and follow-up recordings of physical and emotional functions, self-esteem, social functioning, and general perceptions of health revealed improvements in both the experimental and wait-list control group with no significant differences between group differences. The main study addressed limitations revealed in the pilot study in that it included outcomes measures that more specifically measured behaviour reportedly influenced by Tai Chi, utilizes a randomized controlled cross-over design with a larger number of participants. Does Tai Chi assist with symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury?Tai Chi is a Chinese Martial Arts that literally means “Grand Ultimate Fist”. It is a gentle non stressful art form characterized by soft flowing movements that can be practiced regardless of age, gender and fitness level. When practicing Tai Chi, each position cultivates and flows energy to into the vital organs of the body. It has been shown to be effective with older adults (e.g., falls prevention, balance, gait, heart disease, improving mood , reducing fear of falling & arthritis). Tai Chi has also been shown to be effective with other groups such as neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease), ADHD children with behavioral problems, nightmares in adolescents, and drug dependency. The pilot study conducted by Ms Gemmell is promising in that Tai Chi could be a low cost adjunct to rehabilitation for people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI can be stressful not only for the individual but also their families and carers, thus Tai Chi could be effective in the management of stress and relaxation. Mood disorders are often associated with TBI. As demonstrated in the pilot study, Tai Chi had an immediate effect on mood reducing anger and improving mood in individuals with TBI. Tai Chi can be done from the seated and/ or standing position and can even be practiced lying down. Group practice of Tai Chi increases social interaction and decreases isolation which can occur after TBI. Tai Chi classes will commence from January 2006 in Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt. The Tai Chi will be taught by qualified teachers using a modified form of Tai Chi specifically designed for individuals with TBI. The modified Tai Chi programme is available on DVD from the Head Injury Society. Robert Gemmell Five Step ProgrammeRobert Gemmell is a founder of Tai Chi New Zealand. It is the New Zealand's longest standing martial arts school. Robert Gemmell has been practising for over fifty years. He learned Tai Chi Chuan in China where he was taught by some of the highest ranked Masters in the world. The Five Step Programme:
Benefits
Tai Chi DVDTai Chi DVD available Head Injury and Concussion - AngerBy Tom Tombaugh, Ph.D Your head injury may have made you a somewhat different person. It not only may have diminished your cognitive abilities, it also may have had profound effects on the way you interact with friends and family. This change in your personality may be manifested in different ways. Some of the more common of these are described below. “Since the accident I have such a short fuse. Little things really set me off”. “My husband is like two people. One moment he is “OK” and then he'll explode over a trivial thing. He exploded like a volcano just because I had forgotten to buy peanut butter”. “I'm so ashamed because I yelled at my 8 year old girl. She just wouldn't keep quiet at the dinner table. All she wanted to talk about was what happened today at her school. I just flipped out. This just isn't like me. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose it and hit someone”. “I feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster”. “I feel like I'm going crazy”. Little things that you used to take in stride may now trigger emotional outbursts. You have a short fuse, a hair trigger. You are easily frustrated. Noisy children may cause you to yell or scream at them. The TV is too loud and you feel like throwing it out the window. You feel ashamed and guilty for things you said or done, however, in spite of your remorse you seem to be at the mercy of your emotions and you continue to overreact, often hurting the people you love the most. Sooner or later your emotional outbursts damage your relationships with other people. Friends and family start to avoid you. Your behaviour may cause you to lose your job and often results in separation from your partner. All of these outcomes increase your social isolation, lower your self esteem, and promote feelings of worthlessness. Why is it so difficult to keep a lid on your anger? Part of the problem is with the realization that the brain injury has reduced your abilities. Increased fatigue caused by the injury is a further contributing factor. Even before your accident, increased levels of stress and fatigue would have made it more difficult for you to cope with the ordinary, everyday irritations. Now it is much more difficult because your accident has significantly altered the way your brain regulates your moods. It has damaged the part of the brain that normally controls your emotional outbursts. This emotional “brake” previously allowed you to hold your emotions pour forth largely unrestrained. You feel out of control because your brain has lost its ability to say “no” to irrational emotional outbursts. It is imperative that you take steps to retrain your brain and regain some of the control you have lost. Much of this is a relearning process. It is also important that others around you understand that your behaviour is caused by the brain injury. There are several things that you and others can do which will help you manage your anger and allow you to get off your emotional rollercoaster. RecommendationsBasic Rule: Learn the danger signs and how to respond to them. Learn to anticipate danger. Learn to anticipate the situations that are troublesome. Examples of potentially dangerous situations are dinner time, after a hard day at work, conversational topics that are “hot”, children unexpectedly bring home friends, failure to find car keys, and when you are rushed. During the week record those situations and events that provide your anger. Then take steps to be better prepared when you are in these situations again. Alternatively, try to modify the situation so that it is less stressful. Learn to recognize early signs of anger. If you wait until you are really angry its probably too late. Anger is like a volcano - you have to recognize the signs of an upcoming eruption in order to escape in time. It's usually too late after the initial explosion. Learn the cues tightening muscles, throbbing head, rapid breathing, rising voice, increasing levels of frustration. Each person has his/her own set of cues. Learn to recognize these early signs and then act to reduce your anger. Take a few deep breaths. Learn techniques on how to relax your muscles and use these procedures in times of stress. Talk to yourself. Silently repeat to yourself calming statements: “keep cool”, “remain calm”, “I can get through this”, “it will last only a short while and then it will be over.” Get out of the danger situation. If you feel that you won't be able to hold your emotions in check, leave the situation. Walk rather than talk. Plan in advance where you're going to go. For example, take a walk around the block, or go out and work in the garden. Do something physical. It's a good way to get rid of your anger. However, do not go for a drive when angry. After you have cooled off, you will be in much better shape to discuss issues than when you are emotionally upset and may say or do things that you will regret later. Structure your life. Develop a structured life style that ill increase the predictability of your life. A regular schedule produces fewer surprises and makes things easier to handle. E.g., devise a schedule as to when your children can have their friends over, when the house will be vacuumed, or when the TV will be on. Then plan your activities around this schedule. For example, you could be doing your shopping when the house is noisy and do your reading when it is quite. Check your fatigue levels. Fatigue will be one of the greatest contributors too your anger. Think of all those times before your head injury when the lack of a good nights sleep made it more difficult for you to handle life's little surprises. Now that your head injury has diminished your normal coping skills, fatigue will have a much greater negative effect on your ability to maintain your composure when confronted with irritating events. Decrease the effects of Stress. Decrease your overall stress levels and increase your tolerance for stress. Enroll in a stress management course, or go to your local library or book store and find some “self help” books on how to manage stress. Talk to someone. Find someone you can talk to. Talking to a friend, family member, or support person will provide you with a safety valve for expressing your feelings before you explode. You might also wish to join a support group run by your local head injury society. This avenue is particularly appealing because all of the members of the group have had many, if not all, of the problems you are experiencing. Talking with them not only provides an emotional release, but you will learn some of the tricks they have used to control their anger. Avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol will only make matters worse. Promote understanding. Make sure others understand the reasons for your increased anger and irritability. This will help to minimize the negative impact of your outbursts on your relationships with them. Medications. Sometimes medications can help. They serve as a temporary crutch to help you over some of the rough spots. Get an assessment from a physician with expertise in the area of head injury. Recommendations for friends and familyAvoid getting into a power struggle. Don't confront the person or retaliate verbally. This wont accomplish anything except to increase the person's anger. Allow time for the person to calm down and then try to figure out what went wrong and how can it be corrected. Frequently the person will feel sorry after an emotional outburst. This is an ideal time to talk about the problem together and devise ways to deal with it. If the person remains upset, avoid talking about the problem now. This does not mean totally avoiding the issue, but rather rescheduling it. There is an obvious problem and it needs to be resolved. Pick a time that will increase the likelihood that a solution can be achieved. Change topics. Try switching topics and redirecting attention to other things when the person begins to “wind up”. Identify and eliminate source of problem. Identify the source of the irritation and if possible, eliminate it. Be sure to try and understand time of the emotional outbreak. Possible contributing factors may include fatigue, feelings of isolation, rejection, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Don't take it personally. It is the brain injury that is the cause of the emotional outburst, not you.
|
||
