Living Well After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an
injury to your brain that may change the way you feel, act, move, and think. A TBI
can be
caused by accidents, injuries, violence (including self-inflicted injury), or falls.
If
you've been diagnosed with a TBI, recovery may continue for a long time after you
leave the
hospital.
A TBI can change your life. Symptoms
may include slowed thinking, headaches, clumsiness, memory loss, and mood swings.
Learning
how to deal with these symptoms can be hard. It can even make you feel depressed and
angry.
But the good news is that most TBI symptoms do and will improve with time. And even
though
some symptoms may last for years or even a lifetime, you can find ways to cope.
Recovery after a TBI
Everybody’s brain heals differently
after a TBI. How quickly you'll recover is unpredictable. It can be hard to be patient
during recovery. You may look fine on the outside, but be struggling on the inside.
You
may have good days and bad days. The important thing to remember is that you'll get
better. Staying active, spending time with friends and family, and trying to live
as
normal a life as possible is the best way to cope.
Tips for living well
Keep working with your healthcare
providers. They can help you with your physical and mental recovery. Make sure to
keep
all your appointments and be honest about your symptoms. The recovery steps that you
take on your own are also important. Many are good habits that you should continue
for a
lifetime. Try to:
-
Take good care of yourself. That means getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular hours
of sleep.
-
Have an active social life. Don’t make the mistake of avoiding friends and family. Instead, let your friends
and family become part of your recovery team. Take advantage of their help and emotional
support. Consider joining a TBI support group to share your feelings and experiences
with others who understand.
-
Find ways to reduce your stress. TBI recovery is
stressful. Start by figuring out what parts of your life are adding to your
stress. Avoid or change those things if you can. Try ways to reduce stress like
deep breathing, exercise, recreation, getting a massage, learning to meditate,
listening to music, or spending quality time with loved ones.
-
Don’t push yourself. Recovery
is a slow process. Trying to do too much too soon makes your symptoms worse. Let
your life move more slowly. Give yourself more time to do the things you need to
do. Do them one at a time and ask for help if you need it.
-
Don’t try to treat TBI symptoms
or relieve stress with alcohol or drugs.
These substances may worsen
TBI-related symptoms and slow down the healing process. Your brain may also be
more sensitive to these substances. This can make you more likely to make bad
decisions.
A TBI can change your life in ways that are hard to deal with. The biggest mistake
is to give up and drift away from caregivers, friends, and loved ones. It takes some
courage and willpower, but you need to stay active and involved. And you don’t have
to do this alone.