Therapy

Transitioning from military to civilian life can take its toll not only on ex-military personnel but their families too. Physical and/or mental trauma can negatively impact relationships between loved ones as those directly affected struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of war. Veterans’ difficulty transitioning to civilian life can fuel anger and frustration within a household, and leave loved ones feeling increased levels of anxiety and isolation.

Private clinic the London Orthotic Consultancy (LOC), founded in 2004, provides bespoke orthotic treatments for a wide range of adult and paediatric conditions. It operates privately across the whole of the UK and abroad and also has a growing number of international clients. Director Sam Walmsley explains: “We deal with complex physical problems and generally manufacture bespoke orthotics to address them. We have a unique setup for the UK in that we have 2D video vector gait labs and we do all our manufacturing on site.’’

“How many kids in a wheelchair get to see the world from the top of a mountain, and then slide down it?” says Chris Loyn, who first saw his son Jack’s face light up as he hurtled down a ski slope four years ago. “To be out of his wheelchair and suddenly flying freely down a mountain, the fresh air blasting in his face, it was just awesome.” Jack, now 30, suffered a brain hemorrhage at just two weeks old and was left wheelchair bound as a result of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. In 2015 Chris heard of an organised ski trip taking people with severe brain injuries and complex disabilities to France for an adventure he hadn’t thought possible.

Having built a career as an occupational therapist in London and then Chicago, Janet R. Douglas’s life was turned upside down after suffering a massive stroke. It resulted in her spending the next decade overcoming physical and mental challenges to become a new version of herself.

From her experiences the book, A Wonderful Stroke of Luck: From Occupational Therapist to Patient and Beyond, was born, detailing the huge impact of a stroke from Janet’s unique dual perspective as both therapist and patient. In her memoirs, she examines the effects of brain damage on personal identity and relationships, and how the noticeable disabilities a stroke causes are only part of the struggle.

"Do I have to be a tree?” It’s a question Kathy Akers has come to expect when the subject of dramatherapy is raised - but she’s quick to clarify that the answer is ‘no’; well, not necessarily, anyway. “Dramatherapy can take many forms. We use all kinds of means of communication and creative processes to engage and allow people with a brain injury to express themselves. And if people want to be a tree, then that’s fine, but there is a very wide variety of other ways in which we work,” she explains.

TBI is not a single event, but can be a chronic and often progressive disease with long-term consequences. Even after an ostensibly good recovery, patients might have to live with a continuing process of coping and adaptation. TBI represents 30-40 per cent of all injury related deaths and neurological injury is projected to remain the most common cause of disability from neurological disease up to 2030 - two to three times higher than the contribution from Alzheimer’s or cerebrovascular disorders.

Having had a career as an elite athlete abruptly ended through a freak accident, Drew Graham now dedicates himself to inspiring others through exercise. Drew’s Pop Up Gym - a dedicated facility in the North of England for people with spinal and neurological injuries, alongside a number of outreach sessions across the region to bring the service closer to those who need it - illustrates his passionate advocacy of fitness as a means of rehabilitation. Research has shown the benefits exercise can bring to people who have suffered brain injuries, with improved weight and stress management, emotional regulation, and increased strength, energy and attention all being directly linked to regular fitness sessions.

In these emotionally enlightened times, some say the world’s gone soft. Feelings beat facts, offense is derived from almost anything and parental mollycoddling has hit record levels. To the uninitiated, then, the idea of ‘compassion-focused therapy (CFT)’ might sound like yet another sign of barmy snowflakery. But as growing numbers of psychotherapists are proving, it is, in fact, emerging as a highly effective approach in post-brain injury rehab. CFT was conceived by Paul Gilbert, a world- renowned clinical psychologist who founded the Compassionate Mind Foundation in 2006; and published 'The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life's Challenges and Overcoming Depression' in 2009.

We often use the terms “concussion” and “mild” or “minor” head or brain injury, synonymously; and read “moderate”, “severe” and, more recently, “very severe” brain injury in medical records. When used appropriately these terms convey information about the clinical presentation, especially in the hours and days following a brain injury. This information helps us to predict overall outcomes, and informs opinions on prognosis. The most widely used definitions are shown in table A (below). Sometimes it is more useful to consider a TBI according to anatomy and pathology. To do this we must first understand some basic principles of brain structure and function.

The limitations cast upon people by severe injuries are no barriers to art. So says Sharon White, an artist and art therapist who works with brain and spinal injury clients, amongst others. The example of Laura – whose named has been changed for anonymity – paints a clear example of this. A spinal injury left [...]