Perseveration (Repetition)

Stress and anxiety can trigger perseveration, or at the very least make it worse. Brain injury is just one of a variety of conditions in which perseverative disorders can occur. Others include Alzheimer’s disease, aphasia, schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

An example of perseveration is someone sandpapering a table until they’ve sanded through the wood or a person who continues talking about a topic even when the conversation has moved on to other things. Another person might be asked to draw a cat then several other objects, but continue to draw a cat each time.

Perseveration can be treated through behavioural and cognitive training in a structured environment, and possibly by group therapy or medication.

When a person is perseverating, they feel unable to stop. Others need to respond in a calm and supportive way as frustration will cause greater anxiety and make the situation worse.

Try redirecting the person by changing the topic of conversation, or asking them to try another activity. It is also helpful to direct a person from a conversation to an activity and vice versa. This will help them to move on from the behaviour, speech or thoughts they are stuck on.

As with most aspects of a brain injury, staying healthy can help make the symptoms of perseveration easier to manage:

• sleep well
• exercise regularly
• avoid alcohol or limit your intake
• follow a healthy diet
• learn stress management techniques
• maintain contact with people you enjoy being with and who are supportive.