Telling Your Brain Story

The main focus of  the United Brain Association is finding cures for brain disorders worldwide. To help support advancements in brain disorder research, we’re striving to raise funding through charity events and fundraisers. A key part of our fundraising efforts consists of raising awareness of the brain disorders that many individuals live with every day. Often, relating to those affected or understanding the hardships of the charitable cause in question is the most important element when donors choose to contribute.

UBA’s efforts are rooted in the cathartic experience of storytelling and humans’ innate desire for explanations. Stories and experiences are born by our curiosity and asking “why.” We are then rewarded with a response that deepens our understanding and even elicits an action on our part. At UBA, asking “why” means telling a story about the hardship, struggle, and triumph of someone impacted by a brain disorder. The benefits of asking “why” are addressed in a research study by Frank C. Keil, where he found that an in-depth explanation assists in high-level thoughts and a broader understanding of the world around us. By providing a platform where individuals living with a brain disorder can tell their story, we hope others will hear them and be motivated to help fund a cure.

It’s our job to help portray the need for advancements in research and brain science to find a cure. By sharing stories and life experiences from those most impacted with these disorders, we deliver a powerful message that inspires positive change. In helping those affected by brain disorders find a platform to tell their stories, we also bring attention to each disorder independently. By providing a space for caretakers, loved ones, and those living with these disorders, we spread the word and bring much-needed assistance to all of our active and upcoming research projects.

Your Brain Story – Why Telling Your Story is So Important

When speaking to the importance of telling your story, the impact is two-fold. In terms of fundraising efforts, it is necessary to share experiences to help make those unaware understand the need for scientific studies. Another comes in the form of improvements in psychological health. Also known as narrative psychology, writing about important personal experiences has positive effects on mental and physical health. In a study published by Johns Hopkins University, findings reveal that writing serves as a way for individuals to organize complex emotional experiences more clearly. Those who used a higher number of positive-emotion words showed an increase in the use of cognitive words in their storytelling.

In terms of fundraising efforts for research projects, telling your brain story can have an enormous impact on the overall big picture. By telling your story, you give donors and those uninformed about your brain disorder the opportunity to relate, engage, and become more involved. To help generate the necessary awareness of our fundraising efforts, getting people unaffected involved in our cause is key to finding a cure. They become advocates for our cause and help spread awareness, reaching even more people as they share the stories and successes of our members.

We want to give a platform to any and all individuals impacted by brain disorders. Providing a melting pot of caretaker stories, family experiences, and stories from individuals living with these disorders are key to raising awareness. To learn how we can help deliver your message and story to a greater audience, please reach out to us via email at info@unitedbrainassociation.org or by contacting us on our Facebook page. We want to help you tell your brain story and bring awareness and recognition to your disorder. Together, with your help, we will find a cure! Want to sign up for news and updates on current and upcoming research projects? Join our email list by clicking here.