Dented Image

Every year, 8,500 people in the UK will have a subarachnoid haemorrhage, of whom about 50 per cent will survive this traumatic brain injury which often occurs without warning. Survivors can make a ‘good’ neurological recovery but the psychosocial impact can be longer lasting.Drawing from her own experience of surviving a subarachnoid haemorrhage, together with other people's journeys of recovery and recent research findings, Alison Wertheimer covers:themes of recoveryleaving neurocare and early days of recoverylooking for helpphysical, sensory and cognitive effectsthe emotional impact of subarachnoid haemorrhagethe survivor’s relationship with family and friendsreturning to workwhat helped the survivors with their recoverysubarachnoid haemorrhage as a life-changing event.A Dented Image will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience: survivors and their families and friends; health professionals working with people recovering from acute brain injury in hospital and community-based services including doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other members of rehabilitation teams. It may also be of interest to people recovering from other traumatic illnesses or injuries.

"This is an excellent, well written blend of personal experience, academic information and the experiences of others regarding life after subarachnoid haemorrhage. What I particularly liked was the last section that looked at how people cope with this life threatening and life changing experience and how the experience can produce often uplifting positive and personal growth experiences." – Dr. Trevor Powell, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK"This book not only provides very practical accounts of the experiences of those who have suffered from SAH, but it is written with compassion and insight. It effectively provides a very useful guide through the difficulties that might be encountered by those who have experienced SAH, and so ought to be essential reading not only for the survivors of SAH but also professionals, friends and families who are involved." - Dr. David W. Jones, Principal Lecturer, University of East London, UK"The author has put time and dedication into giving people who have survived a subarachnoid haemorrhage a voice. Only through such an approach, the holistic needs of those surviving this condition can be truly identified, and as such is invaluable... This is an excellent text, well presented in a logical format and natural writing style. It contributes significantly to a gap in the literature." - Neal Cook, British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, October 2008

Alison Wertheimer is a writer, researcher and counsellor. She is the author of A Special Scar: Experiences of people Bereaved by Suicide Routledge, 2001.