Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and concussions can affect people in many ways, some temporary, some permanent depending on the severity of the injury and/or number of concussions. Physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, as well as challenges with cognition, coordination, and mobility are generally expected, however patients are often surprised by the many emotional issues they can also experience.
Depression, anxiety, and anger are natural and understandable by-products of a patient dealing with sudden changes in their abilities and independence. Frustration with not being able to perform once-simple tasks, or follow and remember instructions or conversations, can lead to mounting irritability and chronic low mood, while flashbacks, phobias, and panic attacks can result from association anxiety and PTSD.
On another level, damage to the part of the brain that controls emotions and behavior can actually change the way a patient feels or expresses their emotions. TBI patients with this kind of injury may be prone to rollercoaster mood swings, uncontrollable bouts of crying, or outbursts of anger even when they don’t even feel sad or angry. Other impulse control issues include lack of empathy, laughing at inappropriate times, or “losing their filter” when speaking.
While the emotional consequences of TBI are unique to each individual patient, the severity of these issues may lessen with time, rehab, and specialized therapy designed to teach skills that help patients regain control over their impulses. But one thing is for sure, not addressing emotional health along with physical health will do more than prolong recovery; it can impede.
Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)
This Neuro Emotional Technique is a hands-on approach developed by an astute chiropractor who connected the dots between her patients’ unresolved emotional trauma and their need for repeated chiropractic adjustments. It seemed every time she adjusted them, the emotional overlay of the injury would undo the therapeutic progress they had made. It was only when the ingrained stress response pattern was identified and dealt with prior to correction that the manipulation stuck.
Based on the meridian points used in Acupuncture, NET uses a manual muscle test to cross-check emotional and stress responses against specific points on the body. NET employs a guided, patient-assisted mind-body connection to help identify involuntary physiological responses to emotional triggers. Once the negative associations and stored response patterns appear to be pinpointed, the body tends to be more responsive to prescribed therapies. We believe it’s necessary to consider the whole patient by addressing both physical and emotional symptoms. If you’d like to know more about how unresolved emotional issues may be getting in the way of your physical well-being from TBI or any other factor, talk to us about whether or not NET might be useful for you.