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<\/p>\nby Linda W. Arms, dated Feb. 23, 2018<\/p>\n
After my brain injury, I went from wearing nice outfits chosen from my wardrobe to wearing a \u201cuniform\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This change happened for many reasons.\u00a0\u00a0 Making a decision about what to wear was more than my brain could deal with.\u00a0\u00a0 Wearing an outfit was not something I could relate to any more.\u00a0\u00a0 Even after nearly 12 years and great improvement, I still lean towards the uniform approach to dressing rather than making the effort to create an outfit for the day.<\/p>\n
For so many of us with a brain injury, decision-making is challenging, even for little things.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I preferred that others made decisions for me especially for anything that required a lot of thinking.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Getting dressed for the day was challenging because I had to make decisions.\u00a0\u00a0 Just think about some of those things \u00a0you consider when you pick out what you are going to wear?\u00a0\u00a0 Things like:<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What activity, event or occasion am I dressing for?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Am I going to be inside or outdoors?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is the weather going to be?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Does this color go with this?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where is it?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do these things fit together?<\/p>\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And the list goes on\u2026<\/p>\n
This requires a lot of brain energy!\u00a0\u00a0 It requires a lot of visual processing and sorting pieces of information to decide what to wear.\u00a0 \u00a0If we have problems with balance or pain we have to be cautious in how we move.\u00a0 \u00a0Sometimes, what we choose to put on, whether\u00a0 it is clothes, jewelry or shoes, the wardrobe items cause sensations or stimuli that we don’t want to deal with.\u00a0 \u00a0We become quickly fatigued before we even go somewhere.\u00a0\u00a0 This often causes our symptoms to get worse leading us on a downward spiral.<\/p>\n
After my injury, I became quickly aware that I didn\u2019t have the energy to make decisions about what I wore.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I adopted a few simple pieces of clothing that I wore over and over again.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0I chose to wear a \u201cuniform\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0I didn\u2019t have to decide.\u00a0\u00a0 I didn\u2019t care any more about making the best impression for myself.\u00a0\u00a0 I didn\u2019t care if I wore the same outfit the last time I saw this person.<\/p>\n
I wanted to be comfortable instead of looking my very best for whatever I was going to be doing.\u00a0\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to have to deal with whatever restrictions or problems I might have with what I was wearing.\u00a0\u00a0 I wanted to make sure I wore flat shoes since my balance was off and I didn\u2019t want to be challenged with walking and staying upright.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I didn\u2019t wear jewelry because my dexterity and visual processing wasn\u2019t very good.\u00a0\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t easily manipulate small objects with clasps and other connections.<\/p>\n
After my brain injury, I also lost many of the roles I played in my life. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I didn\u2019t have to wear the outfit appropriate to the role I was filling for the day.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 My old outfits did not fit the part any longer.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I had been a professional but my career clothes were unnecessary.\u00a0\u00a0 My career was no longer a part of my life.\u00a0\u00a0 The fact that I would not be working in my profession became very clear to me early in my recovery.\u00a0\u00a0 My career clothes were some of the first items I gave away.\u00a0\u00a0 Not only did I not fit the role any longer but I also didn\u2019t want to be reminded of that fact.\u00a0\u00a0 It was painful to see those clothes that I had no use for and that I had once been proud of.<\/p>\n
I was a social person who enjoyed nice dinners out.\u00a0\u00a0 I was a woman who wanted to look nice.\u00a0\u00a0 I was outdoorsy, and enjoyed hiking and skiing.\u00a0\u00a0 I liked special occasions or events where you had an excuse to dress up.\u00a0\u00a0 After the accident, my predominant role was an injured person trying to survive the day.\u00a0\u00a0 I forgot about career, socializing, looking nice and interests in outdoor activities.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 All my other roles were gone and the few remaining took a secondary position in my life.\u00a0 \u00a0I had some special pieces of jewelry that I no longer wore \u2013 I didn\u2019t feel worthy to be wearing them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I was a sometimes childlike, sometimes old person-like, injured human being who could only deal with simple things.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As a result, I adopted my uniform and put aside most of my other things.<\/p>\n
Over the last years, I am much more capable and I try to be more creative with my wardrobe.\u00a0\u00a0 I have the capacity again to want to wear different outfits and accessorize with jewelry and other things.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sometimes, however, when too much stress is in my life or I\u2019m tired, I revert back to my uniform.\u00a0\u00a0 It makes life so much easier!<\/p>\n
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SEND EMAIL TO\u00a0LINDA ARMS<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Linda W. Arms, dated Feb. 23, 2018 After my brain injury, I went from wearing nice outfits chosen from my wardrobe to wearing a \u201cuniform\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This change happened for many reasons.\u00a0\u00a0 Making a decision about what to wear was more than my brain could deal with.\u00a0\u00a0 Wearing an outfit was not something I could relate to any more.\u00a0\u00a0 Even after nearly 12 years and great improvement, I still lean towards the uniform approach to dressing rather than making the… Continue reading LIKE THE BRAIN FAIRY ON FACEBOOK<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n