Put Yourself First To Ensure No One Gets Left Behind: Self-Care & ABI.
16th May 2019
With one in every four people suffering with mental health difficulties each year, it is more important than ever that we ensure we are setting aside enough time to focus on our own mental wellbeing. With work, relationships and family commitments often taking precedence in our lives, it is easy to focus our energy on making sure the people around us are happy, forgetting about ourselves…but this can become very unhealthy.
Self-care, at its most basic description, is simply identifying self-desires or needs and then taking steps to meet those needs, regardless of how small the steps may be.
Self-care and self-love can sometimes sound a bit cliché. ‘Have a long soak in a bubble bath, go for walk, read a book’, but maybe this isn’t for you. You might also be thinking ‘well who has the time for that, I have a shower to get clean and then I’m ready to go again…’ But self-care is important. It is extremely important! It needs to be set as a priority.
After sustaining a brain injury, survivors and their families often report having trouble adjusting to their ‘new’ lives, the changes they have to face and the losses. Family members often give most of their energy and time to their relative who has sustained a brain injury and the other people around them and are left feeling as though they do not have enough left-over energy and time to properly care for themselves. They may feel guilty if they take time away from being a caregiver in order to do something for themselves. For those supporting an individual with a brain injury, it is extremely important to find the right balance between what they need for themselves, and what others need from them.
Maintaining good health and wellbeing provides the energy and the capacity to ensure you and your friends and family can face the challenges that you may encounter when supporting someone with a brain injury.
In the aftermath of a brain injury, loved ones and families often put their lives on hold in order to focus everything on the individual who has sustained an ABI (Acquired Brain Injury). It is only natural that when a close relative or loved one suffers something as devastating and life changing as an ABI they want to do everything they can in order to help and support them. Parents, siblings, grandparents and partners alike will all want to spend every ounce of their energy and time visiting, supporting, and caring for the individual with an ABI.
We need to be in the best frame of mind in order to care for another individual. This is only possible when you take care of number one, maintaining good health and wellbeing.
Anger, guilt, resentment, stress, anxiety, fear and grief are just some of the many emotions that might be encountered when someone close to us sustains an ABI. With time, these emotions will begin to subside. It is normal to feel as if you’re going crazy with worry at times, but it will not help to supress these feelings. The best way to deal with them is to face them head on and accept them. Talk to others around you, talk with someone who understands what you’re going through and understands your emotions. Depression is always a major concern for those close to someone who has sustained an ABI, if it becomes a serious issue- seek professional help by talking to your GP.
Good health and wellbeing mean that you can provide the best care and utmost support to your loved one. Some of the most important tips for maintaining this include:
To best help other people, you have to first take care of yourself. Some people often find it hard to know where to begin. If this is the case, consider talking to your close friends and family to get some ideas. These will be coming from someone you know and trust, and who know you best. Support groups are often very beneficial because they allow you to interact with other people who have been through similar circumstances and experiences to you and to learn what worked/didn’t work for them.