Headway North London

Common problems encountered following a brain injury

It is difficult to imagine how life will be after a brain injury. It will vary for each individual. Initially, you may have been in a coma and you will have awoken to a very different new world.

Key problems that people face are things such as:

• Fatigue - even the smallest effort is exhausting
• Memory - you used to remember names easily, now you find it difficult to remember who the person is
• Poor Planning - a trip out of the home is daunting. You used to be able to travel with ease. Now you need to plan your trip carefully, quite possibly writing everything down just to be sure and allowing plenty of time
• Poor Concentration - you may find reading a book difficult. You may find listening to a conversation difficult. Your ability to concentrate is simply not what it used to be
• Slow responses - it may be more difficult to react to everyday occurrences
• Personality change - you may find that quite simply you are a different person and both you, friends and family need to adjust
• Physical disabilities - you may find that you also suffer from physical problems that can be commonly linked to a head injury. You may have to start your day with a number of stretches, to try to prevent spasms. Your senses may have been affected. Food may not taste the same. You may have double vision.

These are all in their own right traumatising events that are difficult to overcome. Medical help is of course invaluable but, you may find that such help is not a solution and you may have to learn to live with the new you. It is always important to remember, YOU ARE THE SAME PERSON - JUST DIFFERENT.

Relationship Difficulties

When one person has a brain injury, that is truly devastating for them. However, there is a ripple effect, like throwing a pebble into water. The effect of a brain injury on family, friends and colleagues is significant, and cannot be ignored.

Family members may find that where they were once a wife/husband/partner, they are now a carer. The dynamics of a relationship can change and friends and family may not understand the injury and how they can help.

It is a sad fact that sometimes relationships are put under so much strain that they cannot survive. Sometimes, no help will alleviate the burden. But the key thing to remember is that you are not alone.

If you are a carer or you are brain injured and are concerned for your partner, then you may benefit from counselling and/or attending our monthly talks. We are keen to organise meetings for carers. We appreciate that it is often difficult to get away but if you are a carer and would like to be put in contact with other carers let us know.

Sharing a burden and knowing that you are not alone can sometimes be a real help.

If you are a carer and would like to speak to someone confidentially, do not hesitate to call our Helpline 0207 372 4477. If we cannot help, we will try our best to put you in touch with someone who can.