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Interviews on Life Threatening Illness and Injury

The following interviews are both personal accounts of survivors of life threatening injury and illness and service providers from various fields talking about their work with survivors. All interviews highlight the role of strength and resilience in survivor's journeys toward growth and healing.

Barbara (Survivor)

11/9/15 - After suffering multiple concussions in a series of accidents, Barbara began to have weird experiences in which she thought, felt and behaved differently. In this podcast, Barbara shares her story of eventually being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, after a prolonged period of severe symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions. She reflects on her time at the ER and psychiatric floor of the hospital, where she was medicated, sedated and misidentified as suffering from mental illness. Barbara reflects on how she came to experience safety, trust, choice, empowerment and collaboration during her hospitalization and subsequent rehabilitation. She recounts particularly helpful experiences, such as keeping a personal thought journal, participating in community-building activities at the hospital and the constant advocacy of her family, all of which moved her along on the road to recovery and wellness. 

Keywords: traumatic brain injury, post concussion syndrome, hospital care, therapy