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Life After a Traumatic Brain Injury

This page entails information and tips for living life to the fullest after enduring a traumatic brain injury, for both victims and family members.

There are many instances in which moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) end up having very long-lasting or permanent effects. So while victims and family members are undergoing the rehabilitation process, it’s important to fully understand the life challenges that TBI victims will have to adapt to in order to live a more fulfilling life.

Polytrauma is very common with serious TBIs, which means that patients will many times face several other types of injuries on top of their brain injury. There are also many instances in which patients appear to have recovered, but will still endure long-term symptoms for years and potentially the rest of their lives.

Although there have been a lot of technological and treatment advancements in recent years, TBIs still remain a life-changing condition that require the long-term assistance of family members and other caregivers. On this page we’re going to discuss the common long-term effects and living tips associated with these very serious personal injury cases, and by going through this page TBI victims and their loved ones will have a more comprehensive understanding as to how to live life to the fullest after a TBI.

So if you or a loved one has suffered from a traumatic brain injury of any kind, contact us today for a free consultation so we can begin the necessary investigation to help you receive your rightful financial assistance that will make the recovery process somewhat more manageable.

The Impacts Traumatic Brain Injuries Have on an Individual’s Life

TBI patients will tend to have a more difficult time when it comes to completing a whole array of everyday tasks. Every TBI is different, but the following are some of the common impacts that injury victims and family members should keep in mind:

Motor Disabilities

  • Problems talking, walking or swallowing
  • Paralysis
  • Uncontrolled movements or spasticity (stiffness in muscles)
  • Vision problems
  • Loss of dexterity
  • Difficulty moving or carrying objects
  • Difficulty remembering and thinking
  • Social difficulties

Physical Effects

  • Sleeping problems
  • Stamina decreases
  • Chronic pain
  • Changes in appetite
  • Issues with swallowing
  • Seizures
  • Body temperature regulation difficulties
  • Hormonal changes
  • Paralysis or spasticity
  • Bowel and bladder function control difficulties

Cognitive Effects

  • Memory problems
  • Difficulty with concentration, attention or general focus
  • Easily distracted
  • Confusion
  • Slow processing speeds
  • Language processing difficulties
  • Perseveration (persistent repetitions of certain acts, words or gestures)

Speech Effects

  • Aphasia (difficulties expressing ideas or talking, understanding language, and reading and writing issues)
  • Reading comprehension problems
  • Slurred speech
  • Speaking either very slow or fast

Sensory Effects

  • Trouble with recognizing touch and pressure sensation differentiations
  • Difficulty with temperature perception
  • Issues noticing arm and leg positions/movements
  • Fine discrimination difficulties (distinguishing small objects)

Vision Effects

  • Partial or complete vision loss
  • Diplopia (eye muscle weakness that leads to double vision)
  • Issues with distance judgment
  • Blurred vision
  • Nystagmus (involuntary eye movements)
  • Photophobia (fear/intolerance of bright lights)

Hearing Effects

  • Varied loss of hearing
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • General sensitivity to sounds

Smell/Taste Effects

  • Anosmia (loss of smell senses)
  • Loss of taste senses
  • Persistent bad taste in mouth

Social/Behavioral Effects

  • Emotional swings
  • Motivation issues
  • Dependency
  • Aggression
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Lack of awareness or denial
  • Lack of inhibition

Tips to Help Make a TBI Comeback

The following are some very important tips for TBI victims and family members to consider when it comes to having a successful recovery:

Stay Positive

There’s no doubt about it that making a TBI comeback is really difficult, but staying positive is always the first thing to consider because it always goes a long way. There are real effects in terms of motivation and goal-oriented activity when it comes to TBIs, but it’s important for victims to know this is just a part of the injury and they should never be defined by their TBI.

There are many examples of people who have experienced a TBI and then gone on to live very successful lives, so the way you think and talk about your injury will ultimately affect your feelings towards it. So stay positive and always keep your dreams and aspirations for the future bright!

Know You’re Never Alone

It’s important for TBI victims to know that there really are a lot of other people going through the same recovery process, so you should never isolate yourself and you should always associate with people who will respect you and treat you kindly. Group therapy is a good option for people to share their recovery stories and let other people know what they’re experiencing.

There are countless psychologists and other medical professionals who are simply waiting to help you, so by reaching out you can support your recovery tremendously.

Be a Symptom Detective

Be your own detective when it comes to better understanding your TBI symptoms, which means deducing what the causes are of your symptoms and what makes them better or worse.

It’s a great idea to keep track of your lapses in memory and other symptom signs as best as you can so you can later be able to redirect your focus and see improvements. The more you track your symptoms, the more you’ll be able to change them for the better.

Every TBI is Unique

There are several factors that come into play when it comes to the longevity of the recovery process after a TBI, which is why it’s always crucial to undergo a series of neuropsychological treatments so you can have a more comprehensive understanding of the uniqueness of your TBI.

When you go the extra mile to continually seek professional help, you’ll be able to know what the contributing factors are towards your symptoms and then receive the professional recommendations to help your daily life improve faster.

Relaxation Strategies

Relaxation strategies are always really important for TBI victims to incorporate into their daily routines because it’s crucial to regulate stress levels during the recovery process. Stress has terrible effects on everyone’s brain functioning, and anxiety will always make TBI symptoms much worse.

We recommend that TBI victims do quick relaxation strategies before undergoing a specific task, and this can include meditation. Meditation is a widely known strategy to combat the effects of TBIs because it helps decrease worry and increase concentration and overall attention.

Stress management is always going to help TBI victims when it comes to memory and concentration, so this is a very big part of the recovery process!

Create a personal motto to help you stay on track

Personal mottos are great when it comes to helping TBI patients remember what they need to do on a daily basis. Some examples are “be here now”, “stop, relax, refocus”, but this motto can be whatever helps you settle your mind down or just keep you focused on what’s at hand.

Always have a support system of family/loved ones involved during recovery

Family members will always be a critical part of the TBI recovery period, and there are many instances in which family members also can benefit greatly from going through counseling and helping themselves cope with the changes that a TBI places on family life.

Caregivers also need to take themselves into consideration in terms of self-care, because it’s never good when a caregiver gets burned out of taking care of a TBI patient.

Consider Cognitive Rehabilitation

This type of treatment does wonders for TBI patients in terms of attention, thinking and general memory problems. One of the great benefits of going through cognitive rehabilitation is that it’ll help a TBI patient and their family to better organize their daily lives and overall environment to help the patient with productivity.

There are plenty of inpatient and outpatient programs that assist TBI patients, and no matter what happens, the more medical expert attention you receive the better off you’ll be for the future!

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you and your family through the TBI rehabilitation process

Our team of Silver Spring, Bowie, College Park, Landover and Upper Marlboro Injury & Accident Attorneys are here to help individuals and families undergoing a TBI rehabilitation process. We fully understand how much goes into life after a TBI, which is why we’re here to make the financial recovery process easier. If you or a loved one has suffered from a traumatic brain injury that was caused by someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a free consultation so we can begin the process of getting you the recovery you need for your current and future damages.