Tmic Essay

This essay highlights and discusses models of disability reflected in two separate articles (Appendices A and B). I will identify the models of disability they represent. Both have been recently featured in the Guardian newspaper and are stories on disabled people.

The article starts by an example of Matt Masterantuono has an concussion during an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Walla Walla, Washington, which gives some background information to the readers. Then it started talk about the brain injuries or TBIs, traumatic brain injury. According to www.traumaticbraininjury.com, traumatic brain injury is a brain dysfunction caused by a force hitting the head. I learned that football players are most likely to have TBIs.

The brain is vulnerable, and is susceptible to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). A person’s head jerks forward and back; this rapid change in acceleration causes a concussion because of impact. Examples of impact injuries that frequently occur in athletics are collisions, falls, and bumps to the head. Regardless of how a person sustains a concussion, her brain collides with ridges in her skull. Although the purpose of a skull is to protect the brain; the fusion of bones in a person’s skull creates ridges, and these ridges damage the brain upon impact. When a person’s brain is shaken up, the sharp ridges damage the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes (Hirsch & Kaufman, 1975).

Concussions can seriously alter one’s life. Concussions are the result of moderate to severe impact to the head with another object. These impacts shake the brain, which is suspended in cerebral fluid, and cause it to scrape against the skull. Concussions can have mild to severe symptoms including insomnia, an inability to concentrate and headaches. Symptoms manifest both physically and mentally and may appear days after the initial trauma, with the possibility of lasting for months. Concussions are extremely prominent in contact sports such as football and hockey at all ages of play, professional to amateur. Multiple concussions may be accompanied by CTE, a neurodegenerative disease associated with

One forceful hit could make the difference between living a long health life, or dying in a short troubled one. In the violent sport of football, there are many violent collisions that can lead to head trauma. Head trauma, meaning a concussion varies from instance to instance. Some can be severe and last six weeks, in comparison some can only be mild and last one day. Research shows that a repeated series of concussions can lead to Chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE).

Football players risk their lives every time they walk onto the field. Although, some players do not see the risk, because no one has informed them of the consequence. They are not aware that their next football game might be their last game or that their small headache could, in fact, be the beginning of a traumatic brain injury. The coaches are fixated on winning the game and they lose focus of their main priority, their players safety. Due to their lack of knowledge, the players do not receive proper treatment and continue to play. Acting as if nothing is wrong, they go to school and find themselves forgetting where their class is. Memory loss is one of the many symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury, or concussion. A concussion can be caused by one traumatic impact or many minor blows to the head; also, in some cases, it can be fatal. Preventing concussions is vitally important to ensure the safety of athletes in the future.

A number of deceased professional players have had their brains donated to various research institutes for analysis, and medical researchers are finding evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative condition associated with repeated impacts to the head. Researchers see similarities between the brains of former players, elderly Alzheimer’s patients, and former boxers with severe dementia. Symptoms of CTE include depression, anger, and memory loss, and many attribute the suicides of high-profile former professional players including Junior Seau and Dave Duerson. Even Chris Henry, an NFL wide receiver who died accidentally in 2009, was found to have signs of CTE in his autopsy. Henry was only 26. “In spite of all the game’s

There is a dark cloud hanging over the world of contact sports and it is growing at an alarming rate. With the size and speed of today’s athletes, the sports of football and hockey have become more exciting, fast paced, wide open, and fun to watch. However, there is another consequence of these ever growing athletes on their sports. They have made the collisions in them increasingly more violent. The velocity that these athletes hurl themselves through the air has created an atmosphere that could not have been imagined when these sports were created. Although the athletes’ bodies have become

Over the past four years I have seen more doctors than an average person would see in their lifetime. From endocrinologists to neurosurgeons, I have tirelessly sought medical help to overcome multiple traumatic brain injuries I incurred as an early teen. Prior to these head injuries I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with my life or what my future would encompass. The outlook I had on life prior to my head injuries has drastically changed through the course of my recovery. Although my road to recovery has been filled with hardships, disappointments, and pain, I have found a new direction filled with opportunity to advocate on behalf of others.

PTSD, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, “is a debilitating anxiety disorder characterized by re-experiencing, hyperarousal and avoidance symptoms” in victims of violent crimes and survivors of war, effecting up to 10% of the population of the United States. Between 25%-50% of patients with this diagnosis are considered treatment-resistant in clinical trials focused on traditional therapy methods which couple SSRI medication and psychotherapy.

Traumatic Brain Injury is otherwise known as TBI. “Traumatic brain injury, a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue” (NINDS, 2010). There are two main types of TBI, closed head injuries such as head hitting a windshield and penetrating head injuries such as a gunshot wound. As reported by the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation,” The severity of traumatic brain injuries is often assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale, with scores ranging from 3 to 15. The higher the score,

My alarm went off at 6:00 am. "Thank God it's Friday," I whispered to myself as I got ready for the day. We still haven't found a case yet, this was just going to be another boring day at the hospital I guess. After I got ready I got in my car and drove to New York Mercy Hospital, which was only about 5 miles away. "Hey Jacobs, we got a case." Wilson said, handing me the file. I worked with two other Doctors; Zachary Wilson and James Miller. We take the medical cases that no other doctors can figure out. I got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. "23 year old girl comes in after continually banging her head on the wall, says she had no idea

In my opinion, there is some relevance of these materials for practice in my field agency. There is a moderate relevance because the traumatic brain injury support group works with families, but does not provide family counseling services. This is true because the support group is facilitated by my agency's Outreach Coordinator and this staff member does not have a background in counseling. However, there is some relevance with respect to the roles of negative behaviors in groups. In my opinion, the facilitator of the group may not have thorough training in how to deal with these negative behaviors.

The term “Psychological trauma” refers to damage wrought from a traumatic event, which that damages one’s ability to cope with stressors. “Trauma” is commonly defined as an exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to self or others’ physical well-being (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Specific types of client trauma frequently encountered by which therapists and other mental health workers frequently encounter in a clinical setting include sexual abuse, physical , or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, domestic violence, and school or/and work related violence (James & Gilliland, 2001). Traumatic

Mission is the prime goal of an organisation to achieve the end results. (Benowitz, 2001). T&TECs mission is to provide a safe,