To beginning this paper, an understanding of the subject becomes an essential part of study. Research reveals the high rate of Traumatic Brain Injury and blast-related concussion events resulting from current combat operations directly impacts the health of the individual service member and the individuals associated with them. This paper presents an understanding of Traumatic Brain Injury, will review the known causes and effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury, and will expose how this issue directly affects the author.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. The classification of the causes are due to penetrating injuries, when a foreign object enters the brain, and closed head injuries, when a blow to the head occurs.
TBI injuries fall into 3 different categories depending upon the severity of the wound: mild, moderate and severe. A person with TBI may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or hours. Other symptoms of a TBI may include disorientation, dizziness, confusion and ringing in the ears at the time of the incident to prolonged issues of behavioral or mood changes and trouble with memory, concentration, or thinking.
TBI is starting to be recognized as the signature injury of the war efforts in the soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, recent attention has been intensively focused on combat-related TBI.
As the Author of this paper, I have directly seen the impacts of this injury. I was diagnosed with moderate TBI in may 2010. My repeated exposures to concussions from my occupation as an artillery man to the numerous explosions on my vehicle have caused moderate memory loss with other issues as well. TBI has hindered my social interaction and communication because I have trouble finding the words needed to express myself. Since my Diagnosis, I have been receiving treatment with some positive results.
Following an evaluation of the data collected, an understanding of...