Changes in her memory and speech after a traumatic brain injury were difficult losses for Bridgid Ruden. Formerly a busy nurse practitioner, she now found it hard to do even the simplest tasks and errands. Even caring for her children and managing the household were constant challenges and frustrations as she frequently lost items as well as words. So many losses changed her sense of self and were further compounded by seizures. Yet she has found a new purpose in life and is now a powerful advocate and speaker for the many voices of survivors.

It’s still January, still the beginning of a new year. The time of year we all get a do-over. People make promises to start over: lose weight, exercise more, get that promotion, or spend more time with family. They make these promises because they choose to. They make them because they want to.

Every family has an emotional reaction when a spouse, sibling, child, or other relative has a traumatic brain injury. Each family has learned ways of coping from previous experiences with stresses, losses and changes in their lives. Some methods of coping have been productive for families in the past and helped ease not only their levels of stress and anxiety, but helped them problem solve and prepare for the future. Other ways of coping may not have been as productive for families. Some may have learned from this and changed how they cope with stress or change, while others may be stuck repeating negative patterns.

The psychological aspect of improvement is probably the greatest influence upon the other three areas. It is assumed there is also a culminating effect of applying cognitive strategies for improvement in other dimensions as well. It is a person’s ability to psychologically know he is improving when progress is so slow that makes the difference.

The other day I was writing about confidence after we suffer a loss. It sparked me to look at all the ways in which one’s confidence can be shattered. Events such as the death of a loved one, infidelity, divorce, relationship changes, a job loss, financial disaster and compromised health all came to mind. I was also reminded of the many individuals where a lack of confidence became a problem after they suffered a brain injury.

Did you know that you can increase your ability to rebound from setbacks and adversity? Like anything else, it takes practice, but it is possible to build your resilience and create a more satisfying life. While resilience is important at any time, it can play an even bigger role after a brain injury to you or a loved one, when your life is disrupted and you face challenges you never imagined.

… isnt that every Monday!? Ok I am joking… but only partly for us the weekends are always such a hassle. Sam is home and every noise or action in the house tends to irritate him, which will result in him being short tempered and wanting to fight. This weekend was no exception.

Overcoming All Challenges is a book which describes in detail the chilling motorcycle accident and the countless terrible injuries sustained by the author Roger Daniel Rizzo. Among the innumerable injuries was severe, traumatic brain injury.

Overcoming All Challenges explains how the author was airlifted by police helicopter to the hospital, how he remained in the hospital for over six months, how he was in a coma for six weeks, and how he was a human vegetable for five and one-half months.

The book is not limited to only a description of the accident and brain injury which occurred in Roger Daniel Rizzo’s life. The book also summarizes with great specificity the challenges the author faced and overcame in his life which lead up to encountering his ultimate challenge, recovering from the myriad of injuries stemming from his horrific accident.

Not only are the “Rewiring” manuals the only paired set of guidebooks for recovery from brain injury available today, but they are the most comprehensive! And they’re survivor-written!

Well-received by health-care professionals, some examples of their praise include: “This is exactly what I’ve needed for my patients!” and “Perfect. I want a million copies” (Joanne Hein, speech-Language therapist); “During my career as a neuropsychologist I have often wished for books like “Brain Injury Rewiring” to provide my patients the answers they seek and the inspiration to continue their own journeys” (Christine Baser, Ph.D.).

It’s impossible for me to count the number of times over the past 20 years that I have heard someone say: “We need to find a celebrity to be the spokesperson for brain injury.” I have always opposed this for several reasons.