Reach out to Help out - the impact of social isolation on brain injury survivors

This week is Action for Brain Injury Week, raising awareness of what life can be like living with a brain injury. The aftershocks of a brain injury often last for life, and can have a far reaching impact on all aspects an individuals way of normality. Survivors report that the impacts are life changing, affecting physical health as well as aspects of their social life which may not always be evident to those around them.

The pandemic has had an effect on the way of life for everyone this year and we have all had to sample life in isolation in some way. Lockdown rules have meant that for many, we have either had to live in isolation, or been physically cut off from everyone outside of our immediate household. 

Imagine how difficult this would have been to process if you were already dealing with being cut off from your social circle and network of support following a life changing brain injury. The negative impact of the year of lockdowns on mental health of brain injury survivors is becoming increasingly apparent. 

The brain injury charity Headway are using this week to champion their new campaign "Reach out to Help out", encouraging friends and family of brain injury survivors to help out in any way they can, to prevent any further damage form ongoing isolation. I will be taking this as a reminder to reach out to all those in my own network, both clients and friends, to check in and make sure they have the support they need.