Thank you for your reply. I think it is important for people with TBi and PCS to shair there experience with what's happening to them mentally and to look for solutions to there problem and positive constructive ways to over come the mental condition there dealing with. From what I've seen on this site is people sharing and looking for solutions to solve their problems.

One of the tools I use in this rebuilding process is KIZEN, witch is breaking up a large problem into small incremental parts and finding a solution to that small part then moving to the next part and so on. KIZEN has been a very helpful tool for me in this healing process. It teaches one to start where they are at today and to make improvement there.

When I was first hurt I was unable to read or write so I had to re teach myself these skills one word at a time. I went from reading 3-4 books a week to being unable to read one sentence and the same with my writing skills. I'm still working on rebuilding and improving these skills today.

THE KIZEN WAY 1. ASK small questions 2 Think small thoughts 3 Take small actions and 4. Solve small problems. This was the model that was used to build The Toyota Corp and the same principles can be applied to TBi, PCS or any other problem a person is dealing with. What one small thing can I do today to improve my mental condiction today.

Take Care Nancy, hope all is going well with your sons recovery. Jeff

Jeffn,
What a great system, the KIZEN method. It goes along with the concept of how do you eat an elephant?, one bite at a time. I also think it is helpful with PCS and TBI because one of the symptoms I am reading about and observing with my own son is, how easily you can become overwhelmed, multitasking is also very frustrating. Keeping it simple in small chunks without becoming overwhelmed with the big picture is calming and a very productive way to go about any day, whether you are brain injured or not. You have learned so much in your recovery and your experience and success is motivational. One thing I am learning, in my wiser 40 something years of experience, is how much joy there is in accomplishment, no matter how small or large. If you create a goal for yourself, go about the task of meeting it, and succeed, it empowers you and propells you forward to meet other goals. The key is making sure the goals are divided in small chunks and realistic. I have actually run 10 marathons, from this concept. I could not understand why I kept wanting to do them after, the first but I now realise it is "the high" of the accomplishment that makes me go back to it. I now have to back off from that as I age and find other projects for these little lifts in self esteem. You should be proud of all you have accomplished in your healing. The biggest challenge for most patients, is battling depression and finding motivation, it appears you have been very successful with this! Stay well
Nancy F

To Nancy F thank you for your reply. It is always encouraging to read your posts. Staying in the positive.

When two minds come together to solve a problem there is in that meeting the creation of a third mind, and I think this is a good place to share ideals and concepts in regards to the healing process with TBI/PCS.

Depression is a symptom of TBI/PCS and needs to be addressed. I was talking with my sis about this issue yesterday part of it is the grieving of the lost of self. I am not the person I was before I was injured and I have to accept that fact. I also have to accept the fact that person, who is still there in my sub conscious mind, my life experiences may not be coming back and when your 50 and starting over that is a big deal. The frustrating part is that I know who I was before I was injured my skills, abilities, talents and life experiences, I'm very fortunate that my long term memory was not effected from the trauma and all that information is still intact. I'm having to learn new ways to process information from the long term memory to the cognitive part of the brain. Theres a delay time in this processing of information and I think this is way the brain shuts down or get overwhelmed under stress, as you can not process the information fast enough and this effects your communications skills, lost words or train of thought confusion ect.

I'm currently in the process of writing up a treatment plan to decus with my Doctor and depression is one of the items on the list. I don't use mind alterning drugs, medication, anti depressants ect, because the side effects of many of these anti depressants on the market today are very un healthy. Looking for and alternative here and there have been some interesting post to the treatment of depression without using medication.

I'm still unable to multitasking at this time but I am able to move from one task to the next through out the day. Tunnel vision is one of the problem with people who suffer from TBI/PCS so I have to stay focused on that one task until it is finished and then move to the next task. I use 3X5 note pads to write up my goals for the day 3-5 items and set those goals up on a priority list doing the most important item first thing in the morning. I like the 3-5 cards because I can put them in my back pocket and carry them around with me and to use as a reference when needed.

Progess not perfection.

I hope your son is doing well and making progess. This maybe a little more difficult for a younger adult.

Take Care Jeff