“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 ReportIt is my great pleasure to present my 2008 AGM Report. It has been an interesting and sometimes challenging year. We have continued to help people with head injuries and their families and our service has been solid. We have worked through the difficulties of finances and come through positively. We have been registered with the Charities Commission. I have attended ACC workshops to discuss better ways of helping children with head injuries and also wellbeing in the workplace when an accident occurs. These have been most worthwhile and I thank ACC for allowing our organization to have input into their ongoing desire to always be improving. In June BIANZ had their AGM in Auckland, I was re-elected as a Vice President of BIANZ. I am very focused that I represent our organization in my capacity as HISNZ President. Naturally the issue of closer ties between the two organizations arose once more. I am very happy with the direction and rebranding BIANZ is now heading in and have expressed the desire for us to join them in the future. While both verbally and written there has been an agreement that the General manager of BIANZ would visit our Affiliates in particular Southland this has not occurred. I have found it very frustrating that after a lot of communication to set a date for such a visit we have been unable to get a commitment from The General Manager of BIANZ to visit particularly Southland with myself to share his and the BIANZ Council’s plans for the future. I feel this could jeopardise all the work to bring us together and I will be expressing my displeasure at the next BIANZ Executive meeting in October and the Presidents meeting in December. There needs to be a two way commitment to ensure we have a solid basis to come together and make a strong sector for the good of people with head injuries and their families after all this is what we are all here for and we most not lose that focus. June was once again Awareness Week and we raised money, had banners and highlighted Head Injury to the public. This year with no monies for staff we had to move to volunteer labour (with HIS Waikato’s help) to run the HISNZ office this meant we regrettably made our staff redundant. Ella now works fulltime with HIS Waikato our thanks to her for the good work she did and continues to do. The Porirua project office has been closed and our thanks to Lisa for the work she did. That project was originally funded by MOH for one year but we kept it going for two and a half years so although it was sad to see the project come to an end we did manage an extra one and a half years work to be done. Thankfully operational costs are being covered by the different funders for whom we are very grateful. I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank our funders, you are so important to us, ACC, NZ Lottery Grants Board, Perry Foundation, J R McKenzie and Pub Charity. Thank you so much for your support. The 0508 444 357 free phone has continued to link people with our society and this continues to be an important tool for people to seek help. The Executive Committee has continued throughout the year to have meetings via telephone conference and this has continued to be an effective way to keep costs down. Both this AGM and last year’s have been via video conference thanks to Parent to Parent and this seems a very cheap way to get us all together for such meetings without the huge airfares and accommodation costs. My thanks to Russell Wilkinson who kindly agreed to be our Auditor and we truly appreciate your help, kindness and advice. Finally I want to thank our staff for all the wonderful work they did on our behalf and hope your futures are bright and happy. The Executive have been fantastic, very focused, loyal and committed in your work for the Society, thank you. I would like to recognize all the volunteers who relentlessly work for the Society through our Southland and Waikato affiliate societies, as is the case for most community organizations these people quietly get on with the job. Without everyone’s dedication we could not provide service to head injured people and their families. As always it has been an honour to serve the organization and I wish everyone the very best for a successful year ahead in providing services for head injured people and their families. With 90 head injuries a day in NZ there is a lot of education and assistance required. Thank you.
Maxine Gillard President 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 from: 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.
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