How I Helped Myself
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The information on this site is for informational purposes only.
To help my short-term memory, I repeatedly read short sentences until I was capable of memorizing and quoting them. This took a long time but was well worth doing. I did likewise with my favorite poetry. By doing this on a daily basis my dormant brain neurons were being stimulated through repetition.
The practice of recalling what I had for dinner the previous night, or an event that I had attended the previous day, helped to further brain cell stimulation.
Writing down events and reminders every day helped me to reduce stress. I also kept a board on the kitchen wall with reminders about everyday things that needed to be done. (I still do this this.)
Writing down important phone numbers as well as my home address in a journal was mandatory. I took the journal everywhere I went in case I got lost. (I learnt to do this 'the hard way', having been lost so many times.)
Though a doctor told me never to drive again, I defied him! I lost my way many times but never let that stop me having the freedom of driving again. When shopping at malls, in order to find my car, I memorized the name of a shop or a landmark where I had entered. Continuing to do this helps me to avoid stress and long delays.
While cooking and having to leave the kitchen to either go out to the garden or to another room, I continue my former habit of turning on the oven timer or setting an alarm clock. (This too I learnt 'the hard way' as many burning pots and pans started kitchen fires in the early days of my recovery!) I also check every room in the house before leaving it.
'A quitter never wins. A winner never quits': and 'Accept the challenge. Refuse to fail' became very important quotes . Repeating these words on a daily basis truly helped me to keep on with my fight for survival!
When too many thoughts frequented my mind I silently chanted a short affirmation such as 'Om Sai Ram'. I kept repeating these affirmations until the majority of the thoughts stopped. (There are several affirmations to choose from on Spiritual websites.)
It is important for head injured survivors to focus on having positive thoughts. I know that this is not the easiest thing to do when “the odds” seem against us. This too is well worth the effort.
Meditation is a must for everyone, let alone brain-injured survivors. I know it is not easy to blank out all thoughts and that it takes time to develop this practice, but it pays off in the end.
It is also advisable for head- injured survivors to not take on more than one project at a time and to avoid drinking alcohol, especially in the early weeks or years of recovery.
Getting out into the fresh air and breathing it in as deeply as possible for several minutes is another must. Don't forget that it the lack of oxygen that both injures and kills off brain neurons.
Reading spiritual- enlightening books and meeting very spiritual people helped me the most during my years of recovery. I wrote about many of them in my book. What I learnt was not only important for my well being; it was vital for my self-healing process.
Later in my recovery years (spanning 16 years in all) I borrowed hundreds of books from libraries and studied subjects that interested me. I also purchased books about spirituality, metaphysics, religions, and the paranormal in general. My studies and research spanned 14 years! I also studied Vatican literature. By frequently doing such intensive work, I was unknowingly stimulating the dormant neurons (which we all have) in my brain.
Dormant neurons were actually being fired up to take over for my injured brain cells. I was unaware of this at the time. This intensive study led to my writing a dissertation on theology and it's connection with the paranormal. I hope to get a degree for this work in order to give hope and inspiration to others. Thankfully my autobiography, From Tragedy To Triumph, is already giving many people "inspiration and hope". I pray that it continues to do so.
It is my belief that we are all Divine; that we are connected with the Universe and very much part of the Godhead Vibration. I am also quite certain that a higher consciousness is currently emerging.
Greater Enlightenment is the years to come will enable mankind to have a better understanding of WHAT...as opposed to
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Excerpt. From Tragedy To Triumph. Page 41. From Dr. Bev Kelly's thesis :“A Transformation of Jessica”:
“It is important to note that when Jessica regained full consciousness she had post-traumatic amnesia and returned to a world in which she was a stranger. She also had retrograde amnesia and had no recollection of the events leading up to the accident. She did not know her name, nor did she recall her husband or her children. Jessica now remembers that day as one of sheer horror. She recalls awakening to a cacophony of unintelligible sounds, and likened it to a horrifying emergency from birth canal into hell. She was terrified and found sanctuary in the fact that her bed was cut off from the unknown world by curtains.”
Links to Reserve Neuron Stimulation and Patterning Rehabilitation:-
My website was set up so that I can make entries myself. Only head-injured survivors could understand what efforts have to be made in doing so. Thankfully a dear friend comes to my rescue from time to time. Thank you Diana Matsuda.
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