Can head injuries cause mental illness?, page 2

Originally posted by unityemissions
reply to post by MischeviousElf

This is some amazing information! I knew about neuroplasticity, but only envisioned the possibility of it occuring to this degree. Here is the actual evidence that nearly anything is possible as far as the brain's ability to adapt. Wow! I'm sending this link to my friend who is studying neuroscience. I think she will find this infomation interesting.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by unityemissions]

Pleasure,
As the poster below yourself I also worked in mental health, and yes some people do not recover but it is is not All Emcompassing,

I suppose if you work in such an environment you would only see the the actual cases where this has happened, however many people loose loved ones, loose a business and manage to adapt to these traumatic and stressfull events.

Some however do "Loose the Plot" and have reactive depression, or it triggers of things such as schizophrenia etc, and kill their whole family wife kids and all. I am all sure we have seen such cases in the press. Should therefore we say all Widows or failed business people will turn out like this?

No, and thats the thrust of my argument, that Labelling and put a definate result on such events, no matter how traumatic are not the same in each case. Some though gain strength and wisdom and go on to become very successful and happy afterwards.

The same as some people have fallen from planes at 30,000 feet and not died, the same as in my post some are fine with hardly any Brain present.

We really should as in my case with my Extreme Leg injury when younger when I was told "You wont walk Again" not take this as normal, I have gone on to do Mountain Walking The Princes Trust award for outdoor Pursuits and such like, do Tai chi every day and can hold a full Lotus position for many hours :-)

We have to be soo careful of this labelling, this in itself can stop any full recovery, as my experience of Mental Health and care work taught me very much that in-fact the emotional and social responses and expectations are as important as any Physical/mechanical issue.

I hope your friend and others are more open minded after seeing these amazing facts and individuals, and I only hope the OP showed the information to his sister too, to give her a feeling that it can be differant.

Until recently the best "Brain Surgeons" were saying that you are born with a certain amount of Nuerons and that the brain cannot regrow or heal, this has recently been proven to be totally wrong too.

An injury is just that an injury, mot a disease or virus etc.

Injuries sometimes heal totally , sometimes not.

As another example a famous member of the POP Group Spandau Ballet (maybe a bit old for many readers!) had a Cranioplast or "Head Job" and had a large operation with a large metal plate fitted to his skull, he went on in later life to become one of the lead actors in a very successful soap in the UK "Eastenders"

There is much evidence too of "Trepanning" or drilling holes in the skull in Stone age man times, to reduce pressure. and certainly Ancient Egypt etc and the individuals had the holes plugged with antler bone etc, and seemed to go on and live a long time afterwards. Even in those times with no antiseptics or clean operating theatres, CT scans etc. the thought of no Anaesthetic in such a procedure though leaves me a bit in awe of their mental strength, and bravery.

Never label until you know for sure. And the Brain can fully recover in certain times after 3 yrs.

Also with mental Health, my God Winston Churchill used to drink a bottle of Champagne every morning with breakfast, had Manic depression which he referred to has his "Black Dog" or "Black dog Days" and was very much like members of ATS, he would of been called a Conspiarcy Theorist he warned and beat the drum about Germany and Russia years before anyone else, whilst all else ridiculed him.

If it wasn't for him most of the world would Have been speaking German now and adoring statues of Hitler, and most of us would never have been born as well.

Kind Regards,

Elf