Hope for traumatic brain injury victims

In Maryland and elsewhere, a brain injury can dramatically change the life of the victim and the lives of his or her family members. Learning and understanding how to begin to live with those kinds of changes is crucial. An out-of-state support group for individuals who had suffered a traumatic brain injury seeks to help on that front.

The brain injury support group meets twice monthly in order to share their common experiences and to explore solutions to some of the daily challenges participants experience. They also seek to share their recovery updates, provide a support network for survivors as well as survivors’ families and seek to educate other community members. They hope to impart to others that even though a brain injury has the potential to change a life, a productive life is still well within reach.

A member of the group, who had been involved in a car accident in 2011 with the rest of her family, said that if an individual does not quite understand brain injury effects, it may be challenging when it comes time to develop healthy coping skills, as well as seeking the appropriate help. She said that her occupational therapist always reminded her that “Recovery is not a linear path.” Many changes in behavior and even a victim’s moods are common after suffering a brain injury, but these are frequently misunderstood aspects of the fallout of this type of injury.

The complications of a brain injury are sometimes known as “hidden disabilities.” This means that those who suffer a traumatic brain injury may not feel any direct effects after their recoveries, as these types of injuries can take months or sometimes years before the actual symptoms appear. Victims may appear to have made full recoveries, but may still experience chronic problems with their concentration and/or memory. As the injury is so prevalent and the prognosis so uncertain, many Maryland residents who have suffered head injuries caused by the negligence of another may benefit from seeking the help of experienced personal injury attorneys to assess the viability of their claims.

Source: northkitsapherald.com, “For those with traumatic brain injury, there’s hope“, Rick Bonari, Oct. 14, 2016