Suffering a brain injury is very traumatic. Learning to deal with the potential long-term effects is yet another challenge.
Some brain injury survivors feel confused, angry, helpless and totally hopeless! Many feel misunderstood or invisible and dismissed. Some are even told that they are faking it and nothing is wrong. They just want to be themselves again and get their life back. I help with this. As a brain injury survivor, I understand.
The reality is life has changed. It has not only changed for you, but for those around you, friends, family, spouse, significant other, caregiver (s), others. Sunflower Transitions helps people who have suffered a brain injury or concussion and who are experiencing the frustrations of dealing with ongoing debilitating symptoms that has extended past 3 to 6 months. These people are worried about how they are going to live their lives purposefully and productively. They fear they are going to lose their jobs, lose sleep worrying about how to pay their mortgage and their bills. They want to get their life back, but the reality is they need to learn to live into their new normal. There are a few resources out there for brain injury survivors. The challenge is finding the way through the health care system. Some people don’t believe the symptoms are real, as many are invisible, and often they are minimized by family members and health professionals. The survivor feels lost and unheard and just wants to get their life back! We offer services in the following areas:
As for the caregivers, they often feel powerless and don’t understand what is going on. They are grieving because they have lost the person they knew and roles have shifted. They want life to get back to the way it was before, but they don’t know HOW or what to do! They don’t understand their loved one's new behaviors, moods, personality. They feel guilty, overwhelmed, powerless to help, sad and often suffer from burn-out, hopelessness, depression and caregiver fatigue. We also offer services to educate and provide the tools to best support the situation. Learn how to accept the person’s injury and a new way of being present with them. Sunflower Transitions will help you, your Caregiver (s) or family, live the new normal. |
Sunflowers are resilientSunflowers represent resiliency. When dealing with brain injuries, one needs the key skills and character traits of resiliency. The sunflower is a flower that grows towards the light and the sun. It can withstand all kinds of weather, even drought and it pushes its stems up through the soil wherever the seeds are planted or dropped to the ground. The petals are known as "rays" and have an unmistakable, sun-like appearance symbolizing HOPE!
Recovering from a brain injury, concussion, or any trauma can feel hopeless! Looking at bright lights, or sunlight can be painful, disorienting, even nauseating. Noisy environments cause you to feel quickly overwhelmed, over-stimulated, irritated, unbalanced hopeless! A season of drought in your life! May the symbolism and metaphor of the sunflower give you new COURAGE and HOPE to show up and BLOOM as you heal, even if that means just showing up each day, the best way you can, and having the RESILIENCY to never give up, to keep reaching for your "new normal!" |
Sowing seeds of hope
for brain injury survivors, caregivers, front-line, medical workers, families
Growing through transitions;
Living the New Normal!