Last month, I spoke at a conference with my colleague Tamara
Forbes (www.forbeshealth.ca) on the
topic of executive dysfunction. Executive
dysfunction is a common problem following brain injury. Simply defined, executive functions are the
capacities we require to achieve a goal.
They are commonly referred to as the “CEO” of the brain because they
provide the higher order processes that allow us to plan, organize, initiate
and complete tasks successfully.
Practically, think about the last time you moved. Moving, as an example, is a simple goal of
just wanting to relocate from one place to another. The goal is not the
problem: it is the processes and thinking required to manage the transition
effectively. Several months before
moving you are searching for a suitable place, weighing the pros and cons of
each location, checking your budget.
Then you make the decision of where to move and you need to deal with
your existing location. When do you need
to notify your landlord, or when should you list your house? Then, months and weeks before you move there are
calls to make to utility companies, mail to redirect, insurance to organize,
movers to book and packing to do. What
belongings are you moving? What should
be sold, donated, discarded? The day of
the move is chaotic, stressful, and exhausting.
Then for months after you continue to unpack, move things around, find
ways to arrange and store your stuff.
Your level of executive functioning, or your ability to
delegate and enlist support for your areas of weakness, will determine the
outcome of your move. Now imagine, with
brain injury, that you feel the same sense of stress, fatigue and frustration
with more simple daily tasks, such as planning a meal, sorting your mail, or
scheduling your time. This is often how
people with brain injury will feel on a regular basis. The goal then of occupational therapy will
be to simplify daily tasks and help a client break activities down into smaller
and more manageable chunks. More on this
to come…
No comments:
Post a Comment