More people with brain injuries than I thought.

[RichardCoulter]

I was astonished to learn that 1 in 8 people have a brain injury and that this rises to 1 in 2 for victims of domestic violence.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001vcd8

The effects of a brain injury vary enormously with some people experiencing cognitive thinking and expression issues, some starting to have epilepsy, some no longer being able to control their emotions and some people go on to develop a different personality altogether!

If you come across someone who has had a brain injury, please try and be kind & understanding. There's a wealth of information out there to find support and education about the subject.

#Hidden disabilities

[jfman]

Is it hidden if they talk about it all the time?

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by jfman

Is it hidden if they talk about it all the time?

Some people are extremely embarrassed about it so choose not to mention it, whilst others find it helpful for others to understand what's going on.

I don't know of anybody who talks about it all the time, just when it's relevant or helpful to.

[Jaymoss]

Originally Posted by jfman

Is it hidden if they talk about it all the time?

Yeah because it is not apparent from just looking at them.

Talking about issues with people you know or on a forum is one thing but unless you wear a banner saying "I have a brain injury" strangers will have no idea.

I know you were just poking at Richard but I have a brain injury so I take umbridge at your comment

[peanut]

I know someone with a brain injury, and I'm polite and courteous towards this person. Just like I would be to anyone who doesn't have a brain injury.

Now this person isn't my friend and never will be, due to his injury no one can ever be. As this person will not know or remember who I am a couple of hours after I've spoken to this person. Quite an eye opener and very sad.

If it is one in eight, then for some as you say it is hidden, probably means I wouldn't notice so therefore unless I was told I'd treat whoever as I would normally.

I have multiple invisible illnesses. In real life I strive to make sure it stays that way to those that doesn't matter to me. Not because I'm embarrassed, but because it's no one else's concern and I don't want to be treated any differently. But to those that do know me in real life, they have to make allowances for me as I or anyone would expect. But most importantly sometimes the allowances can mean make or break for some people (friends & those close to me) that is something I have accepted. That's life.

If a person with a brain injury posts something on a forum then can't handle the response, then who's problem is it?

[Halcyon]

This is a very sensitive subject to me as I am currently dealing with someone who has epilepsy and also most likely a brain injury.

They can be perfectly fine one moment but then be completely different the next, often believing things that are not true or that never happened.

Mental health is a very tricky subject to deal with and it can cause huge problems for not only the person affected but those around them too.

[peanut]

Sadly, everyone has a limit.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I was astonished to learn that 1 in 8 people have a brain injury and that this rises to 1 in 2 for victims of domestic violence.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001vcd8

The effects of a brain injury vary enormously with some people experiencing cognitive thinking and expression issues, some starting to have epilepsy, some no longer being able to control their emotions and some people go on to develop a different personality altogether!

If you come across someone who has had a brain injury, please try and be kind & understanding. There's a wealth of information out there to find support and education about the subject.

#Hidden disabilities

Can I ask where the "1 in 8" figure came from, please?

I can find links to 1 in 8 children (aged 5 - 19) have had mental health issues, but nothing for "1 in 8 people have had a brain injury".

[peanut]

The link goes to those that are victims of domestic abuse. 3m.15sec in on his link. Not the general public by the sounds of it.

https://brainkind.org/news/too-many-to-count-report/

Brain injury such as concussion etc I suspect.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by peanut

The link goes to those that are victims of domestic abuse. 3m.15sec in on his link. Not the general public by the sounds of it.

It does say 1 in 2 domestic abuse survivors compared with 1 in 8 of the general UK population.

Personally I have two. Does that count double? (Both from ice-related falls incidentally. Go careful out there)

[peanut]

Maybe Richard should have put 'have had' rather than just 'have'. That does change everything.

spiderplant, maybe you should learn how to waddle like a penguin.

https://www.nhsggc.scot/walk-like-a-...ing-cold-snap/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/...icy-conditions


I just can't imagine people doing that but would be funny to watch. But falling on ice and hitting your head is no laughing matter, I've done it myself.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by peanut

I know someone with a brain injury, and I'm polite and courteous towards this person. Just like I would be to anyone who doesn't have a brain injury.

Now this person isn't my friend and never will be, due to his injury no one can ever be. As this person will not know or remember who I am a couple of hours after I've spoken to this person. Quite an eye opener and very sad.

If it is one in eight, then for some as you say it is hidden, probably means I wouldn't notice so therefore unless I was told I'd treat whoever as I would normally.

I have multiple invisible illnesses. In real life I strive to make sure it stays that way to those that doesn't matter to me. Not because I'm embarrassed, but because it's no one else's concern and I don't want to be treated any differently. But to those that do know me in real life, they have to make allowances for me as I or anyone would expect. But most importantly sometimes the allowances can mean make or break for some people (friends & those close to me) that is something I have accepted. That's life.

If a person with a brain injury posts something on a forum then can't handle the response, then who's problem is it?

By being open about it it allows other people to make allowances for things like mood swings or not understanding things that others find easy to follow.

Of course, an individual is free to keep it private, but then they have to accept the risk that others might think they are being deliberately obtuse or being sensitive/emotional for no good reason.

This applies to both online & offline.

---------- Post added at 18:47 ---------- Previous post was at 18:38 ----------

Whilst not caused by a brain injury in tje conventional sense, dementia affects people in different ways too.

I was in the company of a woman recently who kept shouting, swearing & being aggressive.

Apparently, dementia had affected the part of her brain that deals with reasoning & self control, so in order to communicate her brain was using the part where bad language, aggressive emotion is processed. You never know why someone is behaving in the way that they are so it's a lesson to us all to be tolerant and kind instead of assuming that they are just rude and unpleasant people.

---------- Post added at 18:48 ---------- Previous post was at 18:47 ----------

Whilst not caused by a brain injury in tje conventional sense, dementia affects people in different ways too.

I was in the company of a woman recently who kept shouting, swearing & being aggressive.

Apparently, dementia had affected the part of her brain that deals with reasoning & self control, so in order to communicate her brain was using the part where bad language, aggressive emotion etc are processed. You never know why someone is behaving in the way that they are so it's a lesson to us all to be tolerant and kind instead of assuming that they are just rude and unpleasant people.

[peanut]

Well there's a difference with being polite and courteous to being tolerant and realistic.

The truth is that if I met you and you kept saying you have a brain injury and continuously say things that annoy me, then realistically I would be polite but I would just avoid you and if that doesn't work I'd tell you straight. It might take a while but that's being realistic to the level my tolerance.

That also applies to both online and offline.

[RichardCoulter]

You would have to ensure that you're reactions didn't fall foul of the Equality Act.

There should only be the need for the other party to mention that they have a disability that affects them once. If their behaviour towards them warranted it or it was clear that their disability wasn't being taken into account, further reminders may have to be made.

[mrmistoffelees]

Originally Posted by jfman

Is it hidden if they talk about it all the time?

Oooooffff