Cognitive disability in a knowledge economy world...

About two months ago, I had a grand mal seizure, during which I lost conciousness and fell to the tile floor in my kitchen. I hit my head so hard, my glasses snapped giving me a large gash on my head, injuring my shoulder, and suffering a very serious concussion, and thus a TBI diagnosis.

Upon discharge from the ER, I was given strict instructions to be on cognitive rest. For two weeks I was not to watch TV, read, or use the computer. In fact, I was told to not really do much of anything that required thought. In a world that is constantly connected, online, and in one where I, as a research analyst, am required to spend long periods of my day on the computer, reading and writing... what was I to do?

Once I was out of the two week period, I was told to only gradually increase the amount of computer usage, reading, and thinking I do. Beginning with 2 hours per day for two weeks, then 4 hours per day for two weeks, until I gradually hit the 8 hour/day mark. As a result, my job and I worked out that I would be on medical leave from my work, as it is very difficult to only be in the office 2-4 hours a day.

At any rate, over the past two months I have had extreme difficult concentrating, have not been able to read anything very difficult (I can read a newspaper in print in small chunks before I start to get headaches), and have had difficulty finding words... like refrigerator. This happened on Christmas Eve when my mother asked where she should put some leftover salad and I responded... in the... in the ... thing that you put food in that is cold... My spelling has become atrocious (the spell-checker has had more use lately than ever before); and all in all it has been a frustrating and frankly terrifying few months.

All of this has had me thinking what, exactly, will happen as our knowledge economy grows. The world still has much to learn on the subject of physical disabilities more broadly, but what about those disabilities that one cannot see - that are invisible?  What happens when a colleague, through no fault of their own, experiences lapses in concentration, memory, vocabulary, or even has mood swings as a side effect of medication or even as a result of a disease?  

Our society, in short, is not ready to deal with this fact. When I was in the consulting world I (having been diagnosed with Epilepsy - an invisible disability) worked hard to try to change the culture of the firm, to make it easier for those with similar disabilities to have the work life balance so desperately needed by those trying to manage a chronic condition. I ultimately left the firm as I was no longer able to do the job well, at the level of performance that I desired, without putting my body at physical risk due to the demands of being a consultant.

In a world where everyone is plugged in, and much emphasis is put on cognitive skills, and even more is being researched to try to figure out how people think, what types of programs are being put in place to help knowledge workers who find themselves temporarily or permanently without the facilities of their minds? The answer is none.  Most managerssee many of the above symptoms as signs of an individual not having the discipline to concentrate; or not having proper attention to detail; or just plain laziness.

What, then, should we do?

The first part is raising awareness. The NFL, and football programs nationwide, have begun a conversation about the impact of concussions on athletes - but what about the rest of us? PTSD, and similar disorders, have been written about at length by multiple authors - but what about those of us who experience similar symptoms due to underlying issues?

It is an important issue that requires attention today. At the very least organizations should conduct training for their mangers in invisible disabilities and how to help colleagues who struggle with cognitive issues. Managers should also be willing to embrace alternative work schedules and telework opportunities to help those who work actively to balance the needs of their health with a knowledge workplace. A word of caution however: for those of us who struggle in this area the ability to always be online or have the ability to telework can, in some cases, lead to situations where employees are never truly off the clock. I think managers should be wise to declare email few periods for their teams, be it no email or work on the weekend or taking one night a week to be email free, as Boston Consulting Group has done to great success. (https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required) 

As we continue to expand our knowledge of how the mind works and how employees think this issue will become ever more prevalent and, hopefully, better understood as people work through the reality of having invisible disabilities and the impact of traumatic brain injury. 

99 problems, and age ain't one!

I sit here, watching the rain come down in cold grey sheets, and wonder, "How many times has she seen the rain fall? How many times has she sipped a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper, like I am now, shaking her head at what the world has come to." She has had no lack of interesting times: World War I and prohibition shaped her childhood, she came of age during the depression, she started a family during World War II, and raised them while seeing the rise of communism, and the fall of her homeland of Lithuania. She saw grandchildren born over a period of 20+ years that spanned the cold war, rejoiced upon the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the liberation of Lithuania, saw her children and grandchildren visit her parent's homeland, witnessed not one, but two attacks on American soil (Pearl Harbor and 9/11), and even was able to vote in an election where the winner was our first African-American president.

I am speaking of my grandmother, who today celebrates her 99th birthday. Though her age has taken her eyesight, and some mobility, she is in incredible shape for her age. I cannot imagine how much she has seen in those 99 years. One experience, in particular, has stuck with me.

When I was little, my grandmother spoke about how she would get dressed up with her mother (stockings, dress, hat, gloves) to go into town to make a telephone call. Yet only a few years ago, while sitting with my mom in DC, we were able to call her on an I-Pad, and chat with her face to face. Her look of surprise, wonder, and even confusion were apparent. She said, in amazement, how incredible it was to see us talking - she almost didn't believe it was truly us.

But not just the advances in technology, but the changes in culture, and perceptions. When I was in high school, I had the chance to go to Japan on an exchange trip. I remember telling my grandmother, and she was so proud. In her lifetime, the Japanese were the enemy - and here her granddaughter was about to go on a trip to promote goodwill, better understanding, and friendship.

It honestly gives me hope - so many people today wonder what our world is coming to, how will we adapt, and how will what we hold dear ever survive. I am sure that throughout her life, my grandmother had those same exact thoughts. And yet, here she is 99 years young, with dozens of grandchildren, and great grandchildren who are out there doing some pretty amazing things... It goes to show that time really does help heal all types of wounds, both for our selves, and for our world. I am trying to sum up this post with some type of poignant words of reflection, but all I have is amazement. When you think about all my grandmother has seen - it is truly a wonder...

Starting afresh

My apologies there has been nothing on this post for well over a year. I think the best thing to tell you is that I have been using the past year to dive deep into my new "field site" - that is my new job. As anyone will tell you, it often takes well over a year to feel as though you've fully become a part of a new organization, or a new school, or even a new culture (people often wonder why anthropologists' field experiences are so long).

In the past year I dove deep into a new world of government policy, practices and theory. I've had to learn about new actors, new languages (each agency seems to have their own unique way of saying the same thing), and new ways of researching and writing. It has kept me quite busy.

In the meantime, I've had the fantastic opportunity to do a bit of publishing on my own, having submitted an article (Forays of an Anthropologist in Management Consulting: How Anthropology Brings Needed Diversity of Thought to Companies and Clients) to a special edition of  Practicing Anthropology, and also having the honor to present at last year's Society for Applied Anthropology meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I will definitely reflect more on that later. And finally, I've even been having fun trying my hand at a wine blog, called "Wine for the Rest of us." (though you will see there is not a whole lot of writing there either).

Of course I have every intention of dedicating more time here, but as we all know life has a way of surprising us!