The TBI Therapist Podcast

During this conversation, Bella Page candidly about mental health, depression, and more post-concussion.  There is a trigger warning as we do discuss suicide.  I was deeply moved by Bella's insights and commitment to helping others who struggle after a concussion. 

Meet Bella: 

Bella is a concussion survivor and host of the Post-Concussion Podcast where she has over 50 podcast episodes waiting for you. Be sure to check it out on postconcussioninc.com.

Bella offers her story of hope and insights into how she was able to cope with the mental health symptoms related to her brain injury. 

More From Bella

https://www.postconcussioninc.com/

More from Jen

 

www.tbitherapist.com 

Newsletter and podcast updates

Concussion Survivor Story: Dr. Zeine is a retired Army flight surgeon. She offers her unique experience as a veteran and accomplished individual who discusses her concussion journey. Dr. Zeine discusses her key takeaways from her return to health and life post head injury. Amanda Zeine, DO, FAAP is a retired Army pediatrician who received medical retirement after a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2018. After her injury, she had severe sequelae causing a loss of identity, worsening depression, and weight gain. Now, after treatment, she has a new vision of herself and has begun a journey from Hot mess to Wellness which is the title of her book. Listen in to learn more about her specific recommendations for headaches, it’s SO good! More From Dr. Zeine https://www.hot-mess-to-wellness.com/ More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041 scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

Dr. Smink and I had a rich conversation with regard to caregiving and TBI. He is a well versed and experienced speaker who freely drops SO much knowledge on this topic. It is a must listen for caregivers and survivors. We talk about anticipatory grief and acknowledging the emotions around the event. We dig into issues of faith and try to understand the huge “why” of the brain injury event. We also talk about the definitions of compassion fatigue and burnout. Edward Smink, the founder of The Soul of Caregiving Coaching Practice, is an in-demand speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving, A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation. Edward holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from Newton Junior College, a BA in Psychology from Boston College, an MA in Counseling Psychology, a MA and PhD in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is a former Registered Nurse, Healthcare Executive in Mission, Values, Spirituality, Ethics, End of Life Care, and Community Health. Cultural Taboos Regarding getting support for caregivers and survivors. We discuss these and ways we should do the opposite! We don’t trust what we are experiencing Don’t communicate your story Don’t acknowledge what you are feeling Send Audience To: More From Dr. Smink https://soulofcaregiving.com/ More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041 scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

In 2017, Carolina sustained a concussion after falling on her icy driveway. At the beginning of her recovery, she remembers having just one lucid hour a day. As a result, her relationships, business, and mental health all greatly suffered. Carolina felt unable to handle the normal tasks in her life. As a CEO and business owner, she even had to take out an equity loan for her home. However, with time and treatment, Carolina ultimately recovered from her concussion. Today, she says she has reengineered her life. While the road to recovery was long and difficult, it is important to remember that full recovery is possible after sustaining a brain injury concussion. Carolina's experience with brain injury and concussion recovery is a great example of the importance of honoring your own innate cycles and patterns. As she noticed during her recovery, there are often good weeks and bad weeks. The key is to flow with your body's patterns and use them to your advantage. For Carolina, this meant using her brain injury as an opportunity to learn more about herself and her internal rhythms. By listening to her body and honoring its cycles, she was able to more effectively recover from her concussion and create a sustainable strategy for moving forward. Her story is a reminder that we all have unique patterns and cycles that should be respected. Meet Carolina: Carolina is a business unicorn, founder, serial entrepreneur, mental health advocate, podcast host and counselor. Every step she takes in life is led by intuition. Formally educated in social work, the healing journey is a way of life for her. She is fluent in business and feelings and shines her brightest when speaking to the spirit of both. Her intuitive business strategy helps purpose driven business owners get things done. Authentic and conscious connection combined with grounded action describes her style. As a serial entrepreneur who started her first business at 12, Carolina Gutiérrez is a passionate Mental Wellness advocate. She guides business owners and seekers alike on the importance of intuition first, challenging you to think about work from the inside out. With her business & counseling skills, Carolina brings peace, time, and profits to business owners feeling overwhelmed. Carolina said that 63% of entrepreneurs feel depressed during the week. 4x incidence of major mental health problems such as suicide risk. Entrepreneurs have a fire to keep going but also a great deal of shame with failure. Concussion can be a significant contributing factor to the mental health problems experienced by entrepreneurs. Shame and depression are common emotional responses to brain injury, and entrepreneurs may feel especially vulnerable to these feelings due to the high stakes and high pressure environment in which they work. However, it is important to remember that brain injuries are often unpredictable and can happen to anyone, regardless of how successful or unsuccessful they are. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health problems after a brain injury, please seek professional help. There are many resources available to support you on your journey to recovery. Takeaways Our conversation revealed a few key takeaways. First, if you suspect you or your loved one has suffered a brain injury, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. I will add that research clearly shows that immediate intervention leads to better outcomes. Second, even though the road to recovery can be long and difficult, it is important to keep hope alive that things will eventually get better. And finally, in some cases, a diagnosis can provide much-needed direction for treatment. Carolina's story is a perfect example of this. After years of struggling with undiagnosed ADHD, she finally received a diagnosis that led her to the treatment she needed. More From Carolina https://bookcarolina.com More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts Click Here scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

Dr. Smink and I had a rich conversation with regard to caregiving and TBI. He is a well versed and experienced speaker who freely drops SO much knowledge on this topic. It is a must listen for caregivers and survivors. We talk about anticipatory grief and acknowledging the emotions around the event. We dig into issues of faith and try to understand the huge “why” of the brain injury event. We also talk about the definitions of compassion fatigue and burnout. Edward Smink, the founder of The Soul of Caregiving Coaching Practice, is an in-demand speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving, A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation. Edward holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from Newton Junior College, a BA in Psychology from Boston College, an MA in Counseling Psychology, a MA and PhD in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is a former Registered Nurse, Healthcare Executive in Mission, Values, Spirituality, Ethics, End of Life Care, and Community Health. Cultural Taboos Regarding getting support for caregivers and survivors. We discuss these and ways we should do the opposite! We don’t trust what we are experiencing Don’t communicate your story Don’t acknowledge what you are feeling Send Audience To: More From Dr. Smink https://soulofcaregiving.com/ More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041 scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

For the next two weeks, I am focusing on caregiving. If you know someone who is a caregiver for someone with a concussion or brain injury, then this podcast is for you. Concussions and brain injuries can be difficult to deal with, both for the person who has them and their caregivers. In this video, we offer some tips on how to support the caregivers in your life.

I was over the moon after attending the 13th annual Defining Moments in Brain Injury Conference in my home state of Maine. There is just something magical about meeting with other providers, survivors, and caregivers. In this episode, I share my big takeaways from the conference, including some mind-blowing info on modern concussion care! More […]

I was over the moon after attending the 13th annual Defining Moments in Brain Injury Conference in my home state of Maine. There is just something magical about meeting with other providers, survivors, and caregivers. In this episode, I share my big takeaways from the conference, including some mind-blowing info on modern concussion care! More […]