A recent article on the Time Magazine website by Sean Gregory was titled, "Are NFL Head Injuries Causing Domestic Violence?" The article centered on Jovan Belcher who killed his girlfried before committing suicide. As a result of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Chiefs, it was discovered that Belcher's brain showed signs of damage consistent with CTE (Chronice Traumatic Encephalopathy). This is not the only high profile case in which brain trauma is seen to be a cause of violent behavior. There is another side to the story. Anthony Wright, author of 'You Can Self Heal', provides an insightful and enlightening look at brain trauma from the perspective of a victim.
"I guess Hollywood and the news media would have the public believe that we all become axe murderers," Wright stated. "The truth of course is rather different."
"Head injury is a long-term condition; I am in year five of recovery and now just about 90 per cent of my former self. There are very many issues associated with head injury but long-term depression is quite common. The head injury version is quite drug resistant and bipolar in nature. The suicide rates for head injury survivors are two, sometimes three times the general population. Neither conventional medication, nor therapies seem to be very effective in this area. An entire book could be written on the subject of personality changes following such injuries. This may account for the poor relationship survival post injury. Marital breakup, divorce - even family disintegration is not uncommon."
"The sad irony is that there are things that one can do and many are unaware of this. In the UK, our Medical Services are absolutely first rate in terms of emergency intervention with drugs or surgery. But the system does not work so well for long-term rehabilitation. For me the full diagnosis in 2009 was confusion, dyslexic speech, short term memory loss, with English skills reduced to that of a 15 year old. There was no suggestion that our Health Service could do anything about it."
Anthony Wright suffered through nine operations for his brain tumors and their consequences. At 45, after early diagnosis and delays, Tony deliberately faked a hearing test, which provoked an emergency MRI scan. The scan revealed a large, golf ball sized brain tumor and led to an NF2 diagnosis. There were further delays and later, he discovered through his own research, that he had vision complications from Papilledema, a rare condition which if untreated leads to permanent blindness. This was confirmed by a doctor. A successful operation followed to save his sight.
The operation for the main tumor a year later did not go so well. Complications meant that a second then third operation were required just days later. This now became a life or death struggle. He did expire during one operation. The surgeons saved his life but he lost hearing, balance and facial nerves. He was now in a coma, losing more than 25Kgs body weight in the following weeks. Tony was now unable to walk, confused and very weak. His face collapsed on one side.
He was moved to a rehabilitation unit to learn to walk. While still in a wheelchair, he broke into their gym and started to use the equipment. Just three weeks later, Tony was discovered by a rather surprised off-duty nurse in a local pub – just sitting down to steak and chips.
Upon returning home he could walk, but was weak with typical brain injury symptoms. These included fatigue and confusion with dyslexia and memory loss. His mind and body had been extensively damaged; but Tony wanted his life back. He understood there was a need for a plan encompassing all aspects of mind and body in order to recover. He developed his own self recovery plan. His plan, a combination of brain and physical exercises, prove to be very successful. He can now run two miles or walk ten, while his speed of speech has increased by a third.
"I have been on a journey of self-healing, rebuilding rewiring my brain ever since. It seems you can actively promote the neuro plasticity in your own brain; my speed of speech is now fully a third faster than five years ago, I conduct public training courses and of course I am author. The interesting thing in all of this is not so much the improvements in mental cognitive capacity, which are certainly there. But the mood balance is definitely improved as well."
Anthony Wright is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at anthony@anthonywrightrecovery.com. 'You Can Self Heal" is available at Amazon. Wright's interview can be heard October 10 through October 12 at The Authors Show site at http://www.TheAuthorsShow.com. More information is available at Wright's website at http://www.AnthonyWrightRecovery.com.
About Anthony Wright:
Anthony Wright inspires recovery. As the result of a brain tumor, he suffered through nine operations, two radio-therapies, spent a week in a coma and a month in a wheelchair. He died once, was brain damaged, nearly blinded, crippled and his face collapsed. He lost 75% of his hearing, his job, his career, his identity, and his future. Through his personally developed self healing strategies and techniques he recovered. Today he can run two miles or walk ten. He lifts weights and plays golf (better than before, he claims). He is now a speaker, a self recovery trainer and an author of a book on self recovery.
Contact:
Anthony Wright
anthony@anthonywrightrecovery.com
http://www.AnthonyWrightRecovery.com
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