Traumatic brain injury

Individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBI) experience psychological and emotional challenges as a result of the actual injury, as well as due to the impact these injuries have on their lives.

Symptoms related to the

impact TBI has on someone’s life

Anxiety about transitioning roles (job, family, community)

Sense of loss or grief about these changes

Depression, hopelessness

Many of these symptoms are experiences that leave folks with depression feeling ashamed or guilty for decreased ability to function. However, these are symptoms of an illness, not characteristics of who someone is as a person. It is important to remember the difference. With the right treatment, these symptoms can be managed effectively and you can feel like yourself again… or maybe even for the first time!

Individuals with depression may experience some or all of the following:

Irritability

Anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure in activities)

Change in weight or appetite

Sleep disruption

Fatigue

Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

Difficulty concentrating

Suicidal thoughts

Isolating from others

Folks with anxiety often experience a sense of impending doom. Often times, there is an urge to anticipate possible problems in the future by frequently thinking “what if”. With the proper tools learned through treatment, folks can learn to control these thought patterns and resume functioning more in the present.

Individuals with anxiety may experience some or all of the following:

Excessive worry (usually about the future)

Restlessness, feeling on-edge

Difficulty concentrating

Sleep disruption

There are multiple ways someone can experience trauma. A traumatic experience can be defined by directly experiencing, witnessing an event, or something traumatic happening to someone an individual loves or cares about, as well as repeated exposure to details or aversive traumatic events (often the experience of first responders).

Individuals with PTSD may experience some or all of the following:

Intrusive memories about the experience

Frequent dreams or nightmares related to the trauma

Dissociative episodes such as flashbacks. Dissociation/disconnection from the present occurs in various level of severity

Psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s)

Physiological reactions to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s)

Avoidance or efforts to avoid anything that reminds someone of the traumatic event(s) or memories of those events

Inability or difficulty remembering aspect of the event(s)

Changes in one’s beliefs about self or the world to more negative perspective

Feeling detached or estranged from others

Difficulty feeling any positive emotions with frequently experiencing distressed emotions such as fear, horror, anger, guilt or shame

Irritable behavior and angry outbursts (with little or no provocation), typically expressed as verbal or physical aggression toward people or objects

Reckless or self-destructive behavior

Hypervigilance

Exaggerated startle response

Problems with concentration

Sleep disturbance (e.g. difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless sleep)

The Mindful Health TBI Center understands the stress and challenges athletes experience throughout their time in that role. When there are disruptions to participation in sports, athletes often experience depression, anxiety, or even PTSD. The severity of the distress symptoms is determined by the type of event that caused this change, whether the disruption is temporary, and the type of coping skills the athlete possesses. That is where MHTBI comes in…

We have programming that addresses the challenges regarding athletes and vulnerability. Our clinicians understand how frightening it can feel to acknowledge that one is not invincible. However, we also believe that vulnerable does not mean “weak”. With the right support and education, we can help athletes find the balance between acknowledging present challenges, while fully resuming a level of functioning, whether in their role of an athlete or not.

If participation in high-level sports is no longer an option, we will help these athletes identify strengths and skills needed to transition out of this role in a healthy, supported way. Folks will receive therapy and education to facilitate navigating this change.