When someone is diagnosed with a brain injury, it is not uncommon to see changes in the way that person thinks and behaves. You may see changes in:

• Attention and Concentration.
• Memory, planning, organisation and problem solving.
• Loss of motivation or drive.
• Behaviour control.

The best approach is often to help them to help themselves so that they can be as independent as possible and be aware of how you can manage your own behaviour. As challenging as it can be, sometimes the smartest thing you can do is learn to pick your battles. In the words of Wayne Dyer: “Conflict cannot survive without your participation.” 

Find out more about the impact of brain injury on thinking and behaviour below.

The carers dilemma: Should individuals with a brain injury be allowed to drive? This is a sensitive subject that may increase your heart rate and could spark a debate amongst your friends and family.

It's important to recognise that not all conditions affect a person’s ability to drive. A person's condition can also change over time and result in physical and cognitive changes that impact their driving.

But let’s face it, it takes a few skills to be able to drive. You need sharp thinking, quick reflexes, good vision and the ability to keep your cool when faced with other drivers' frustration, such as being cut off or honked at for no reason!

While being able to drive provides an important level of independence, it is also essential to prioritise safety for yourself and other road users. Find out more about how to navigate driving after experiencing a brain injury.

Most of us don’t think about how we go about swallowing our food and drink; we just do it! People with a brain injury, including conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, may sometimes struggle with swallowing. Swallowing is a complex task involving lots of muscles. When these muscles weaken, swallowing can become more difficult. The good news is that there are some things that you can do to make it easier to swallow. If you are dealing with swallowing difficulties as part of your invisible disability, let's work together to create a visible change today by following some of our tips.

When experiencing sudden illness, such as a brain injury, it is not uncommon for feelings of grief and loss to follow. It is a natural and normal reaction.

You may initially feel shock and denial, but it is also not uncommon to feel anger or despair or even anxiety about what has happened and how different the future might be.

Understanding your feelings and reactions and seeking appropriate support can help. Take some time out to learn more about Grief and Loss following a brain injury.

BrainLink has a list of several legal and financial considerations you may want to consider if you are caring for someone with a brain injury.

Click on the link below for a practical guide on how to get started.

Sing, sing a song…………,

Did you know that someone who has difficulty speaking following a brain injury might still be able to sing? Fascinating!

Speech involves more than just muscles. We have to think about what we are going to say, form the words and construct them into a sentence and then try to speak it out loud. It's actually quite complex. Speech can therefore be affected by weakening of muscles or when the language centre of the brain has been injured.  Language or speaking takes place in a different part of our brain than singing. So, sing, sing a song, or if you would like to learn more about speech, please read our fact sheet.

Vision and our ability to see and to understand what we see are complex. We not only need our eyes to be healthy, but also our optic nerves (the nerves that connect our eyes to our brain). What we see and the way we see things can also be affected by neurological conditions or an injury to the brain, as our brain interprets what our eyes see. For more information on this topic, please refer to our fact sheet.