Welcome to Dr. Zender’s Psychology Today blog, The New Normal.
Traumatic accidents can seriously impact every area of your life. However, with the proper information and support you—or someone you care about—can reclaim the life you were meant to live. In Dr. Zender’s blog, you will find tools, tips and ideas to facilitate your recovery process —tools that will help you to cope with your physical and psychological injuries and conditions. You will learn to do more than just survive, you will learn to thrive!
A note to auto insurance companies: You will find valuable information here that will help you better serve your insured customers. In fact, when patients get the proper supports, needed care and treatment up front, they need far fewer resources in the long run than if support is withheld. That translates into a big win-win for your company and a boost to your bottom line!
A Life Reclaimed: The Travis Mills story
This year, at the 39th annual Michigan Brain Injury Association fall conference, I met a remarkable man who was one of the key note speakers. Travis Mills is from a small town in Michigan and was captain of his high school football team. He joined the Army, and while on patrol during his third deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, dropped his backpack [...]
An Inspiring Response to Trauma
At the recent 39th Michigan Brain Injury Conference a keynote speaker gave a remarkable talk about how she responded to her brother’s brain injury. Her way of coping is having a positive impact on the entire world. Mallory Brown, age 33, I would wager to say is destined to win a Nobel Peace Prize of which she is deserving. She is a [...]
The Story of Angela M. – An interview about TBI and PTSD
Angela M was a rapidly rising classical pop singer/songwriter, having just sung for an audience of 220,000 at the Canada vs. Ireland rugby match when the roll-over auto accident happened. In an instant her life was changed in ways she is still learning to cope with. She was being driven to the airport when the driver lost control, flew off [...]
Honoring the Unspeakable. Ghosts of childhood trauma.
My training analyst, Dr. Henry Krystal, who had survived five Nazi death camps, would often tell me in my training sessions, “Sometimes a good forgettery is better than a good memory.” We may live with imprints of events from our distant pasts that cause bitter pain and suffering that with existing resources are too overwhelming to speak of. They must be [...]
A New Paradigm for Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Gordon is the medical director of Millennium Neuroregenerative Centers and the author of two books, Traumatic Brain Injury, A Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment (2016), and The Clinical Application of Interventional Endocrinology (2007). I was so impressed with the results of Dr. Gordon’s treatment of Andrew Marr for his war-related brain injury, documented in Marr’s book Tales from the Blast Factory, that I [...]
Post-concussion Syndrome: Does one of the diagnostic criteria do patients a disservice?
An excellent review of diagnostic issues related to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-concussion syndrome (PCS) can be found in McCrea (2008). He clearly breaks down the various diagnostic systems that are currently used for head injuries. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) developed one of the most accepted diagnostic criteria for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The [...]
