Post Brain Injury Changes
Brain injuries are mysterious and quite complex in nature. They remain the least understood of any injury. Their effects often leave family members and friends without answers.
Why is it that the behavior of brain injury survivors is so startling? The brain is an intricate tool, composed of neurons and neurotransmitters that direct electrical impuluses and lobes that regulate and direct behavior. The human brain weighs three pounds, functioning with approximately one hundred billion cells. When damaged, this system is disrupted, often resulting in impaired abilities and brain functioning.
The Two Hemispheres
The human brain consists of two hemispheres. The right hemisphere is used for recognizing what one sees, while the left hemisphere takes the information collected by the right hemisphere, and converts it into impressions. This allows one to recognize what is seen. Both hemispheres work together to organize ideas and draw conclusions from what is taken in through the senses. Sight, smell, taste, and touch all play a role in this process. For more information, visit http://www.tbiguide.com.
Sexual Behavior
Those who have suffered an ABI (acquired brain injury) may exhibit innappropriate sexual behaviors. This may happen for a number of reasons. In an article written by David Strauss on Connections' online magazine, he addresses this issue at length. Strauss writes, "They want someone to acknowledge their fears and desperation." He also states that patients with impaired cognition may try to share their sexual feelings with the person caring for them.
In his article, "Talk of Sex and Feelings of the Recovery Process," Strauss addresses the need to recognize a brain injured person's need for closeness and intimacy. ABI survivors may be insecure about intimate relationships, because caregivers are uncomfortable discussing it, and don't welcome sexuality as an integral part of the recovery process (Strauss, 2000, paragraph 2).
For many who have suffered an acquired brain injury, sexuality supercedes one's need for social integration. Such individuals may initiate touching in inappropriate situations, such as in public. There is an overwhelming need for sexual attention. Caregivers have helped them shower and learn to dress themselves again. And since many brain injury survivors are stratified by their peers, they may act on their sexual feelings at inappropriate times.
Inappropriate Behavior
In the early stages of recovery, there is a real need for the acceptance of inappropriate behavior. When awakening from a coma, one might raise his arm up and down repetitively. This may help the individual strengthen arm muscles after a long period of dormancy. Often times, one reverts to childhood, displaying child-like behavior for an extended period of time after a coma. In cases where the injury is extremely severe, the behavior could persist forever. But in most cases, it dissipates after a few years. You can visit http://www.biausa.org/famviewnews/sexual... for more information.
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