Mild traumatic brain injury

Did you know that a single exposure to a physical trauma, such as blows to the head, a whiplash of the neck, falls, accidents, sports injuries, explosions during training and surgeries, shooting training, being exposed to toxic chemical and so on, can cause mild traumatic head-brain injuries?. An accumulation of these physical traumas can put you at risk of developing more extensive traumatic head-brain injuries, even though the individual incidents are mild. The changes in physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions can be very subtle and go unnoticed. Memory, concentration, planning and organizing, dealing with crowds and stimuli, can become more challenging due to the (accumulation of) impact on the body and head/neck. You may feel guilty and ashamed because you have become "different" and can no longer function as  easily as you are used to. You can teach yourself "camouflage behavior" or "tricks" to hide the fact that your brain doesn't work as it used to.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I have physical complaints such as: fatigue, headache, vision problems, sleeping problems, sensitivity to light and sound, blurred or double vision, poor balance and/or dizziness?
2. Will I experience changes in my cognitive abilities such as: poor concentration, memory problems, poor judgment or difficulty making a decision, delayed performance, poor time management and/or organizational skills, and difficulty putting thoughts into words?
3. Do I feel more depressed, irritable, anxious, stressed and restless?
4. Have I become more impulsive or have more outbursts of anger?

When you recognize these symptoms and they are present for a longer period of time, it is advisable to seek professional help.

The diagnostics and rehabilitation program in Balans en Impuls is a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program to work on the recovery of the body and mind. The team consists of the following disciplines: rehabilitation physician, psychologists, occupational therapist/reintegration coach, trouble shooter, optometrist and/or (specialized) physiotherapist. The aim of this program is to make the complaints manageable, if possible to decrease them, and increase functioning levels in private and work life. For more information check out our site.