The tactile factor

As young children we all have something material which we carry around with us whether it is in the form of a security blanket, a favourite teddy or item of clothing there is always something which we find comforting to smell or touch.

I have noticed when I get nervous or anxious about a situation I tend to sit and play with my hands or stroke an area of my clothing such as a sleeve or end of a scarf. If I know I have a rough day ahead of me I have found that I deliberately pick out soft clothing for me to sit and play with. This has become almost like a form of security blanket for me and I am quite interested to see if anyone else does the same!? I find it quite interesting to see if the tactile aspect of the brace can be comforting emotionally in the same way a ‘blankie’ is for a young child.

In particular I am looking to explore how this can be incorporated into the design of the back brace so that there is material panelling or some form of pocketing where keepsakes or items with a comforting purpose can be kept.

PTSD - what can be done to help ?

So how do you treat PTSD – what can be done to help. Unfortunately this is a very individual thing to the patient. There are many forms of medication which are out there to help although sometimes they may have a more detrimental effect. For example with some varieties you cannot drive while taking them which could have a resulting knock on effect to your ability to work.

Sometimes I think medication is not always the best approach either. As a society we seem to think that tablets can solve everything however I believe that with issues such as PTSD all the medication will do is treat the symptoms not the actual problem. It’s almost like sweeping your problems under the carpet. Out of sight doesn’t always mean out of mind.

There are many new techniques out there which help the patient to actually process the traumatic incident with the help of a psychologist such as EMDR. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and involves stimulating other senses to help encourage the brain to process the traumatic memories. Techniques like these help with problematic areas such as flashbacks and nightmares which medication do not have an effect on. It is not until you can process the traumatic event that you can deal with the consequences of the incident such as your injuries and their impact on lifestyle.

A lot of the time how well a person overcomes PTSD is dependant on the individual. Many will never fully overcome their demons but all will be able to find techniques and ways of coping to gain control and as 'normal' a lifestyle as possible.

PTSD - how well do you cope ?

An issue that arises when designing rehabilitation products is that 2 people can react totally differently to the same trauma. But why is this?

A person’s recovery and how they deal with things is affected by a factor called ‘Adjustment’. This is basically how well a person can cope with a situation. Many would think that this would directly relate to the severity of a person’s injury or level of PTSD however this is not true. A person can have a high level of PTSD but a low level adjustment.

A patients recovery rates can be influenced by their personality traits. For example if they are prone to giving up or quitting on things then their recovery is more likely to be slower because their way of thinking will be reflected in their approach and feelings to rehabilitation exercises etc .

There can also be the association of how the injury impacts a person’s life. For example a professional golfer who broke his thumb may be absolutely devastated due to the consequences of this injury as it could result in him not being able to play and so not only does he loose his lively hood but also his favourite hobby.

As a result of all these variable factors how successful a person’s rehabilitation is can be partly dependant on the individual. With this in mind it is even more important that a patient is met with good, efficient and effective design to ensure they have as much of a possible experience as possible. If the patient has a positive experience they are more likely to want to keep using the equipment/products and so should make a better recovery

The evils of sugar coating !?

How can a small white lie affect a persons recovery?

Would you rather have all your cards laid out on the table and be given the bare facts or would you rather have a more positive outlook and be told only what you can handle? For example:

If patient A was told:

“You have a very serious break. This will heal in time however it will take many months and you will continue to have various problems for the rest of your life with this area. You may have to face surgery in the future”

Would they have the same recovery rate a patient B if they were told:

“You have a break, we are going to treat it conservitably but are hoping you should make a good recovery”

When you look at these 2 statements they are for the same injury but the patient is being given different levels of detail although they are saying the same thing. Patient A is given a very realistic if not slightly negative outlook where Patient B is given a positive and though possibly unachievable perspective.

With this in mind would each patient recover at the same rates or to the same level? Patient A could adopt a defeatist attitude and so not work as hard at their recovery feeling that there is ‘no point’. On the flip side they could choose to prove the consultants wrong by working extra hard throughout their rehabilitation to make the most of what they have and are able to do by aiming to exceed the consultant’s expectations.

From this is could be argued that patient B would be expected to make a better and quicker recovery. However it should be considered how the patient may react when they find out the full scale of their injuries. This could have a detrimental affect on their recovery/give them a set back while they try to process the new information. If they are given false hope and targets it can be disheartening when they are not able to meet them.