Question:
Is it your experence (survivors and family) that when professionals become involoved(sp?) with the group the slant on the groups function changes from the self help model to one that MAY fit a model of being led by a professional? In my experience of running the FAMILY support group which include survivor and family and friends(so that the survivor has support from family and friends and all know the issues,)on the outside of the group.

As the groups devolop to a higher level, The suvivors may wish to form a SURVIVOR'S self help group at which time survivors wish to support each other. At this time the family or friends or any professionals that attend may question the ABILITY of survivors to do there own thing.

Since the "technical" group has been added to this list, I have noticed a drop off in contact between survivors. eg. number of posts pper day has dropped from a average of 20 per day to 5 per day. The point that I am trying to make is that in Canada, Groups in seven provinces have survivor groups but resisance is high from some professional who may think that survivors cannot be independent to do their own thing and to allow survivors to fail in their attempt and come back to ask for help from the professionals.

Answer: As a survivor of ABI and a student with no medical background, aside from my own experiences, I too was looking for "tried and true" ways of dealing with memory problems, pitfalls, and sometimes very indepth information, like (and anyone, feel free to answer it!), What effects are in the realm of possibilities of continued damage to the brainstem where my CM is located? Is there new hope out there? Then again, I just want an answer to why I can't remember howw to make it to class sometimes.

I think that while experience is a good teacher, it is not always the most efficient or effective. A combination of both professionals and survivors is a good mix. I guess the question that distrubes me is what degree of professionals are we talking about? A student, while knowledgeable, TO ME, is not a professional, even one who hopes to work with brain injuries. Just my opinion.... Head injury survivors often seek to develop compensatory techniques that allow them to appear free of disabilities. Often feelings of being different and inadequate develop if the survivor is unable to create or maintain a successful "disguise." Discovering a group of individuals with similar experiences can often help the survivor with accepting limitations & disabilities. Acceptance of deficits can allow one's focus to become directed toward developing and expanding remaining abilities, thus, creating opportunities for self-actualization or satisfactions with life.

Many head injury survivors use a great deal of energy making attempts to hide deficits. Using compensatory techniques may be accompanied by a fear of failure or feelings of imperfection. Recognition of others making similar efforts may allow feelings of normality, comfort, and acceptance to replace a survivor's fears. Thus, being accepted by others with similar deficits can provide a recess from hiding one's disabilities.