Because friends and family members can oftentimes be more aware of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) victim’s emotional state than he or she might be, they can also recognize depression before the person with TBI does. While victims are ultimately responsible for taking action, the concern and encouragement of friends and family can go a long way toward helping TBI victims recover from severe depression. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) notes, “Help should take the form of encouragement, not criticism or treating the person as a child.” On Wednesday, we discussed how two of the most common treatment approaches for depression are medications and psychotherapy. However, if a TBI victim suffering depression is unwilling to engage in either treatment, the BIAA says that a friend or family member can help by “reaching out to a trusted friend, doctor or religious leader who might encourage acceptance of treatment.” The…
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Friends, Family Have Significant Role in Helping TBI Victims Deal with Depression
May 18th, 2012Steps TBI Victims Can Take to Overcome Depression
May 16th, 2012We noted on Monday that depression is far more common among traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims than it is among the general population, but we also noted that the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) says “depression is open to healing.” The first step in dealing with depression is for the victim to acknowledge having a problem. This can often be easier said than done, as many TBI victims can immediately go into denial about feeling depressed. However, friends and family need to express their support and offer assistance in helping the victim take steps to deal with the issue. The BIAA notes that these victims will have to “take steps to cope actively with depression,” meaning that they should move away from behaviors that maintain the depression, such as using drugs and alcohol, endlessly criticizing themselves or hanging out with equally negative friends. After making these initial steps in…
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Depression Eight Times Greater Among TBI Victims
May 14th, 2012When former National Football League (NFL) linebacker Junior Seau died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 2, 2012, a Reuters headline declared, “Seau death puts spotlight on concussions and depression.” As the former football star’s death triggered a national discussion about the long-term toll the sport takes on participants, another former linebacker and former Seau mentor, Harry Carson, told NewJerseyNewsroom.com how he remembered thinking about taking his own life and driving off the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River in the 1980s. “You have these deep bouts of depression, and people think you’re depressed because you’re not playing anymore,” Carson told Newsroom.com. “You’re depressed because you’re having neurological issues that are very difficult to describe.” That comment is important because it reinforces the basic truth that, regardless of their profession before being hurt, a majority of the people struggling with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) all…
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