I have a brain injury. I had invasive brain surgery four years ago, which saved my life because of an aneurysm. I also had a bad bout with COVID and now have LONG COVID, which means I am not contagious, I just have the symptoms. For me, this manifests in extreme fatigue and cognitive problems. Sooo…I am in Cognitive-Linguistic Therapy with a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Cognitive-Linguistic Therapy helps with attention, memory, problem-solving, executive functioning, verbal expression, and auditory comprehension. It is helpful to anyone with difficulty thinking clearly or communicating, such as folks after a stroke, surgery, viral infection, loss of oxygen, brain injury (including concussion), or with a neurodegenerative disease (e.g. Parkinsons, Dementia.)
In Cognitive-Linguistic Therapy, I learn to use compensatory strategies, learn to identify and regulate brain fatigue, and implement appropriate exercises. Each person will have different deficits, skill levels, and goals. It is a trial and error process, it is not “Fixing” the brain. It is a patient-clinician collaboration, not clinician-led. There is no medicine prescribing but there is a great deal of strategy training and planning.
One of the most important things I am learning about is Brain Fatigue. Common signs of brain fatigue include cognitive (difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, word fining), emotional (irritability, nervousness, withdrawal), and physical (balance instability, sensitivity to light/noise, blurred vision, dizziness, low energy) symptoms. When I notice any of these things, I need to minimize cognitive stimulation. I do this in several ways. I dim or turn off bright lights and loud noises. I focus on one task at a time. I step away from computer screens for at least 15 minutes. I rest or take a nap. And I recognize what I am feeling in the moment, name it, and breathe through it.
So where do the twinkle lights and cuddly cats come in? My favorite brain breaks are when I shut the blinds and turn off all the lights but the twinkle lights. (Which are set on solid, not on flashing) The room is lit by soft white light and two pink bulbs. I may sit in silence or turn on some soft music. My cat, Luna, always jumps up on me. She knows I am trying to chill my brain and her cuddling helps give me something soothing to concentrate on.
None of this will “fix” my brain, but it will make it a great deal easier to cope, manage the symptoms, and reach new heights of achievement with my “new” brain. I am grateful to the Speech-Language Pathologists who do this type of work and are helping me. I hope some of this information helps you rest your brain too. Salud!