Scripts.

I’m afraid I’m off on a ramble about my OU work again…This week I’m learning about how mental health can influence the quality of witnesses who are brought into court. Charging on with it as usual, I came across a description that made me stop. Because I can relate to it only too well.

Scripts.

These are plans that we learn in our heads so that we basically know how “stuff” works. Like how to drive a car, how to do up your laces, how to make a cup of tea. What it described in my OU work is that these plans are “unconscious” to us.

Now then as I’ve talked about here before, since my TBI I have taught myself a number of scripts in my life. And I’ve stuck to those scripts in what shall I say, an incredibly rigid way!

To use an example, when I do my teeth, I have a set routine. I consciously made the “script” up straight after my TBI, in a very conscious way. But I now know it so well I almost don’t have to think about it, I can just watch my heads act it out!

Back in 2013 I told my clinical psychologist about it, who was seeing me for my brain injury. She listened and then made a comment.

She said “okay, you take the tap water in six times every time you do your teeth?”

“Yes” I said

“Right then here’s a challenge for you. Could you change that number to eight times?”

“I’ll try” I said

So. All these years later, guess how many times I take in tap water with my toothbrush now? Eight times of course, I’ve been doing that now for thirteen years!