Recovery from Stroke and Brain Injury: How Listening to Podcasts Can Help
Podcast Recommendations for the brain!
By: Joe Borges
Recovering from a brain injury can feel very lonely, especially for younger survivors.
I remember when I first suffered my stroke and was going to physical therapy during the first month out of the hospital and the only other survivors in there were 60+ while I was the only survivor there in my 30s. The recovery journey is lonely enough as it is and even though friends and family want to help, there's no one who can understand the challenges of this journey better than another survivor. This is the story behind why I started my podcast, The NeuroNerds - to connect with other stroke and brain injury survivors.
One of the benefits of finding commonality in brain injury suffering is that it can help survivors feel less alone in their brain injury recovery journey. Listening to podcasts about brain injury can help survivors feel more connected because it creates a community of people who have been through similar experiences. It's empowering for brain injury survivors to know that there are others who can relate to them even if they don't always feel like they understand themselves.
Podcasting allowed me to discover that there are all these other people out there suffering the same challenges and facing the same fears as me, which was so comforting. It's like we're all in this together and it feels more manageable with others on my side through it all - especially when I have felt like I cannot understand my own brain at times.
It's not just brain injury survivors who benefit from listening to these podcasts, either - partners and friends or family members of brain injury survivors also can find solace in connecting with others through brain injury-related podcasts.
Some tips I would recommend to brain injury survivors is to just to start exploring podcasts on topics of interest to them and it doesn't have to just be those specific to brain injury, but that is a great place to start. While it is beneficial to listen to brain injury-related podcasts, it can be overwhelming depending on the content. It's important not to listen when they're feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, but instead, focus on listening during times of calm and relaxation.
Some great brain injury and brain health podcasts are:
● Strokecast
A Generation X stroke survivor explores rehab, recovery, the frontiers of neuroscience, and one-handed banana peeling.
Making Headway is a podcast created by two brain injury survivors in the hope that it would help others in the process of recovery.
To give your self the best opportunity to heal, there are some things you must do and some things you must avoid. Join us in the Recovery After Stroke membership and discover what you need to know.
Stroke Stories is a podcast dedicated to giving a voice to stroke survivors, as well as their friends and family. Created by stroke survivor and Life After Stroke Awards judge Mark Goodier, each episode features interviews with a different stroke survivor.
Through his book, podcast, and especially his work with private clients, Cavin educates and empowers survivor’s, loved ones, practitioners, and caregivers to go beyond the standard of care.
And of course, I can't leave out my podcast, The NeuroNerds!
Our episodes are uplifting, educational, and entertaining. The brain injury recovery process is an emotional rollercoaster, so we want to provide brain injury survivors with brain health education in a lighthearted way.
Listening to our podcast can help brain injury survivors feel less alone in the brain injury recovery process. The main focus of the podcast is helping brain injury survivors stay positive and develop coping skills through our love of pop culture and everything nerdy. Topics covered include brain health, managing negative thoughts, recovery journey, and connecting with the community. We also talk with brain injury-related guests from all over the world so that we can relate to other people who have also suffered from brain injury and learn from their experiences.
A few ways we incorporate pop culture into brain injury-related topics is by talking about brain injuries in movies such as in Iron Man 3 where Tony Stark experiences PTSD or superheroes who have traumatic brain injuries. It's not hopeless for those who have suffered a brain injury because even superheroes deal with brain injury in their day-to-day challenges! We are not alone. There's a whole world of podcasts out there to help you feel more connected and find support as a brain injury survivor. And remember, The NeuroNerds are here to help! To listen to our podcast go to TheNeuroNerds.com.
Hey, readers! Did you enjoy this blog post? We wanted to combine two of our favorite things: podcast listening and guest contributions. Do you have an idea for a blog post that combines podcasts with your favorite things? Let us know! We’d love for you to write a guest blog post for us.
