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

by Vani Rao

A traumatic brain injury is a life-changing event, affecting an individual's lifestyle, ability to work, relationships--even personality. Whatever caused it--car crash, work accident, sports injury, domestic violence, combat--a 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 Vaishnavi--experts in helping people heal after head trauma--explain how traumatic brain injury, whether mild, moderate, or severe, affects the brain. They advise listeners 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical

Unknown Binding

First published October 22, 2015

Reviews

[Morgan Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a good start to understanding how the brain works and how a TBI can effect its function. But i had to give it a three star rating over a four for 2 reasons. At this point some information needs updating. Also there are no holistic options for treatments; just the standard pharmaceutical stuff.

[RICK SCHWENK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful

Helpful in a very basic sense. The book would benefit from greater detail and more in depth life stories maybe follow a few cases to completion

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a loved one who has experienced TBI, this is a great resource for those days when you feel helpless to understand or support. Understanding is the bridge to empathy.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a wonderful explanation of the brain..but again, no discussions on the issues that we are facing 5+ years after the TBI. I continue to look.

[Richard Lehingrat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice jargon free review of probs associated with TBI. Offers practical remedies to the various symptoms.

[Pradnya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good description related to various brain issues, with and without significant trauma. The various remedial options for treating these are informative. Various health issues such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, attention, memory, headaches and seizures are well explained. It is useful reference to go to for anyone.

[Penny Fleckenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

It helped me put my life in perspective.

[Stan Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Organized in a helpful way. Gives practical advice on how to help those with various symptoms. Helped me break down the symptoms of my wife after her injury.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been dealing with a family member with a TBI for over 2 years, I didn't find this book to be groundbreaking. However, it does provide a very good overview of how the brain works and can be impacted by a TBI. The way in which the chapters are laid out makes this book a good reference guide.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for persons with Traumatic Brain Injury, their families, friends, and teachers or therapists. It describes how parts of the brain work, how the brain injury disrupts their functioning, and how to work with that difficulty.

[Mary Barger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but detailed book

Great book with lots of detailed info regarding brain injury recovery. This is a simple read perhaps best suited for when the initial emotional impact of the injury has passed and you've moved on to practical solutions.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well at times a little overly medical, this was very informative and very useful. The example stories are spot on and provide helpful insight to reviewing the scientific information presented afterwards.

[Breigh Tompkins]

A helpful read as I navigate a relationship with my own father as I get older.