The Traumatized Brain: A Family Guide to Understanding Mood, Memory, and Behavior after Brain Injury (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)

Useful information and real hope for patients and families whose lives have been altered by traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury is a life-changing event affecting an individuals lifestyle ability to work relationshipseven personality. Whatever caused itcar crash work accident sports injury domestic violence combata severe blow to the head results in acute and often lasting symptoms. People with brain injury benefit from understanding patience and assistance in recovering their bearings and functioning to their full abilities. In The Traumatized Brain neuropsychiatrists Drs. Vani Rao and Sandeep Vaishnaviexperts in helping people heal after head traumaexplain how traumatic brain injury whether mild moderate or severe affects the brain. They advise readers on how emotional symptoms such as depression anxiety mania and apathy can be treated; how behavioral symptoms such as psychosis aggression impulsivity and sleep disturbances can be addressed; and how cognitive functions like attention memory executive functioning and language can be improved. They also discuss headaches seizures vision problems and other neurological symptoms of traumatic brain injury. By stressing that symptoms are real and are directly related to the trauma Rao and Vaishnavi hope to restore dignity to people with traumatic brain injury and encourage them to ask for help. Each chapter incorporates case studies and suggestions for appropriate medications counseling and other treatments and ends with targeted tips for coping. The book also includes a useful glossary a list of resources and suggestions for further reading.