Browsing by Subject "adjustment"

Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Adjustment to a traumatic brain injury is a major life event involving new self-experiences. Drawing upon a phenomenological perspective, this thesis explores one woman’s understanding of herself and her life with a moderate traumatic brain injury. Adjustment is portrayed broadly, involving new experiences of one’s body, oneself, and society. Interpretative phenomenological analysis serves as the method for this thesis. In contrast to previous findings, the results show that the experience of change in social identities does not always lead to an experience of a temporal division or loss of the self. The results provide an understanding of the self as existing on two levels; an interplay with transient social identities and a more profound sense of being. The results highlight the idea of social identities as connected to hegemonic understandings of the able body and an unconscious dependency on a high-functioning body and mind. Regarding clinical implications, the results imply that verbal sense-making of the trauma can enhance the patient’s understanding of neurological deficit: the injury is experienced as more real as it is verbally placed in a socially shared reality. Moreover, during the initial state of the injury, the person’s understanding of their condition can be multiple, inaccurate and contradictory. Hence, this thesis strengthens the importance of improving the patient’s early access to a diagnosis and healthcare. A person’s experience of the healthcare process can have a major impact on how they experience their illness. Shortcomings in the patient information system and a lack of information during the rehabilitation re-evaluations can cause the patient to experience uncertainty over their health, eliciting emotions of loneliness and mistrust towards the healthcare, hampering the adjustment process. Motivation to adjust can manifest as an interaction between having a positive outlook on life, the experience of having a limited choice, and an embodied understanding of being alone with the illness. Lastly, the results point out that the realization of a traumatic brain injury is a recurrent process of thought. The process is crucial in terms of adjustment since it enables the person to create a meaningful presence in times of adversity.