Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - How You and Your Loved Ones Can Benefit from Brain Injury Support Groups

 

As a Traumatic Brain Injury attorney in Atlanta, Georgia, I am very familiar with the devastating consequences that result from a TBI. The brain injury survivor's family is affected drastically as well as the patient. Major changes are required in almost every area of life.

Brain Injury is probably the least understood of all the major illnesses. Because our brain determines our personality and our behaviors, a brain injury survivor may seem like an entirely different person after the accident.

Brain injury may not be readily obvious to outside observers, and the brain injury survivor may be thought to have mental illness or to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Traumatic Brain Injury survivors usually experience rapidly changing moods and behaviors that they cannot control. Anger, frustration, extreme depression, rage, fear, unexplained outbursts, withdrawal, and impulsivity are all common. Lawyer firm in Georgia. And they can change from one end of the spectrum to the other in an instant with no apparent cause.

Family members are often scared and overwhelmed by the changes in their loved one and the changed family dynamics. The other partner in the marriage may have to make drastic changes to their role within the family, becoming the primary source of income as well as full-time caregiver to the patient. They may feel as if they now have another child rather than a partner. They may feel alone and fearful about the uncertainty of the future, as well as fearful about financial matters, such as huge medical bills.

The brain injury survivor may feel frustration and helplessness for numerous reasons, perhaps because they cannot do all the things they used to do, or because they may not be able to control their moods or actions. They may have lost the ability to drive or to work outside the home. And their doctors or therapists may not be able to give them the straightforward answers they need, such as "how do I control my emotions"? There are no simple solutions in cases like these.

This is where a TBI support group can be of immense benefit, both to the survivor and to the family members and friends affected by the injury. The group understands and can relate to the frustrations and grief that those outside the immediate situation cannot. The group, because they understand, can accept behaviors resulting from the brain injury that may be deemed socially unacceptable by the general population. They can be a source of social interaction and encouragement.