After 17+ concussions, Nick Krantz found himself at the end of his rope, having been told by many medical professionals that there wasn't really anything he could do, and he would just have to live with the symptoms. It was then that he discovered that there is so much more to brain injury recovery than he ever knew, and he began a journey of learning to overcome PCS, including nutrition, mindset, balancing hormones, exercise, and more. Today, Nick shares his story of overcoming PCS and finding hope in recovery.

After a concussion or brain injury, the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) can be commonly disrupted. This can cause a dysregulation between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system - leading to increased symptoms.

This week on the podcast, Natasha Wilch is back to explain the ins and outs of the ANS as it relates to brain injury. She will also explain dysautonomia and POTS, and share some practical tools to improve autonomic function.

How can the "invisible" injury affect our self worth? Survivors often don’t realize their own identity as separate from their brain injury. Living with symptoms for so long can take a toll on mental health. It's also easy to take in how other people view the "invisible" injury and let it negatively impact how we view ourselves. But you are more than your injury, and there is hope for improvement!

This week, Cristabelle Braden goes deeper into some lesser known pieces of her own story, candidly sharing some of the harder parts to talk about including mental health struggles, navigating social cues, abuse and trauma, and more.

Something often overlooked in brain injury recovery is the effect of trauma or PTSD on the survivor. Trauma symptoms can have a lot of overlap with brain injury symptoms, as both stimulate the Autonomic Nervous System. Dr. Jen Blanchette helps us to uncover what this overlap can mean, and explains how addressing trauma can often be a missing piece that can really help to further along brain injury recovery.

Dr. Roy Wilkins is an expert in sleep medicine - and a brain injury survivor himself! This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, we discuss some specifics on how to sleep better after a brain injury. Dr. Wilkins also shares important information on sleep hygiene, what a sleep study will do, and hope that there is help available.

This is Part 2 - check out last week’s episode to hear an introduction on how sleep affects the brain and sleep disturbances after brain injury, along with more of Dr. Wilkins personal journey with TBI.

Dr. Roy Wilkins is an expert in sleep medicine - and a brain injury survivor himself! This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, we will learn the importance of how sleep affects the brain. Dr. Wilkins also shares some of his own journey with TBI, along with why there can be sleep disturbances after a brain injury.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, married couple and survivor/caregiver duo Terry & Drew Niemann are here to inspire us and talk about some of the challenges and lessons learned on their journey. We also discuss mental health, depression, mindfulness, and the importance of communication from both sides.

Drew & Terry also host their own podcast called "A Battle Within" - hear Cristabelle's interview on their podcast on Ep.120 "There is Always Hope" https://abattlewithin.com/120/ and check out their podcast on all platforms!
Connect with them: @a_battle_within

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, fitness professional David Freeman, who has also had concussions from playing football, helps us to connect to our values and strengths and shares some tangible things we can do to improve our recovery and overall wellness.