In a summer college job in a solitary office, the boss hired me, but after that, was never there. He called me several times a day, even when I locked up at 5pm. He made me so nervous, thinking that I would cut out early, that one day, being distracted and running for the elevator, I had only five feet to go, yet I walked hard into a plaster wall before I got there. I was dazed for about 10 minutes as I sat on the carpeted floor and was semi-conscious.
The single hallway was empty, probably because all the other office workers also cut out early. But after, I kept on going. Later that same day, I had a headache that lasted for 2 weeks but didn’t know about hidden traumatic brain injury (TBI) or silent stroke. Hidden TBI was a strong possibility.
Brain Injury Association of America says several of the effects that may be aligned with brain injury are not seen to others. For example, some individuals who have gotten a brain injury do not use assistive devices, like canes or wheelchairs, that would prompt a signal that they have a disability. They may appear to be functioning in the same way that they did before the injury, even though they may be physically, emotionally, or cognitively flawed.
Brain injuries are different for everyone, and so is the existence of living with an invisible impairment. For some people, having an unseen disability allows them to blend in, without being asked to talk about their injury. It can be exhausting to share the day-to-day struggles unless you’re in a support group where you have members who know your disability!
In addition, there are genuine misconceptions between family, friends, colleagues, and medical professionals who may not recognize your struggles with daily living. These problems can cause harm in personal relationships if the aforesaid group do not comprehend your disability and even be an obstacle to getting good medicare care.
Brain injuries are different for everyone and it depends on what part of the brain was injured and how severely it was damaged. Here are some of the major symptoms for which you may not be aware:
“Headaches,” the kind that most people have gotten, for example, is when you’re under stress and you didn’t see the stress coming. This time, I’m talking about headaches that linger and get worse over time, the kind that won’t go away no matter what you do. Stroke and TBI suffer from headaches. I had a headache for 12 hours before I succumbed with my stroke. If I had gone to the hospital, maybe my life would be the same as before. But I didn’t go, and my life would resume differently. Sometimes, I despise looking into the mirror and see the stranger staring back at me.
“Lights sensitivities and insomnia” are linked. The majority of commercial establishments, such as department stores and markets, include fluorescent and light emitting diodes (LED) bulbs. These lights both form what is called a critical flicker frequency (CFF) that causes the light to quiver, and some individuals may experience headaches or even migraines as a result for TBIs. Reaching for your phone with blue light, for example, when you get up in the middle of the night, fools your brain into thinking it’s daytime as one source of “blue” light, messing with the circadian rhythms when it’s really nighttime.
“Fatigue” comes when brain has been overworked and needs a rest. Headway, a major brain-lnjury player in England, oversees the ‘See The Hidden Me’ campaign and inspires people to be courteous and patient such as with fatigue, and to consider whether behaviors could be misinterpreted, for brain injury often is a ‘hidden impairment.’ Not only did they find that the majority of the over 2000 respondents experienced daily issues relating to their brain injury being hidden, but 55% felt they’d been treated unfairly as a direct result of the brain injury, and more than half also felt their relationship with their significant other had been negatively damaged.
“Personality changes” come about when any brain injury survivors report feeling like a brand-new person. The change occurs in two different ways. One change is feeling less passionate in something they were previously ardent about, and the other is more severe, leading to nervousness in social situations.
“Impulsive actions” are about a loss of control over what you do or say, amounting to socially inappropriate speech or actions. Brain-injured people may foolishly speak about anything without being able to comprehend the ramifications of their remarks without forethought with no filter that the ‘normals’ have. Impulsive behavior can even lead those with a brain injury to the criminal justice system.
“Memory” loss due to stroke is chiefly episodic. But to TBIs, if your short-term memory has been affected, you may find it difficult to remember what you were about to do or what someone just said to you. If your long-term memory has been affected, then you may find it difficult to recall important dates, where you’ve put something, or someone’s name.
“Cognition” may present problems such as these: difficulties with attention and concentration, problems with decision-making, or struggles with processing information or reasoning. If you notice people who repeatedly have these characteristics, it would be in their best interests to tell someone.
“Multi-tasking” is one of the many executive functions that we should not for granted. But for those that have survived a brain injury, it be can be intense and can result in withdrawal from conversations and being perceived by others as rude or disinterested which can have a profound effect on social interaction.
“Social media” has become a common part of everyday communication, but its use has the potential to increase communication and social participation for those who have suffered a brain injury when they may be more housebound in the early days or recovery. However, the use of social media has for some led to social isolation as they have struggled to effectively interact or communicate, resulting in exclusion or withdrawal from social groups.
“Lack of sense of humor” comes about because the right side of the brain may lead the person to interpret verbal cues very concretely. A person with a brain injury is often unable to understand figures of speech. They can perceive a phrase such as “give ’em hell” quite rudely instead. They can miss sarcasm and even miss the subtle nuances of conversation. The lack of public awareness about brain injury doesn’t help in creating challenges where you may not be in company that understand your injury or know about your difficulties with socialising and interacting.
“Speech issues” that can impact upon a brain injured individual’s social life is dysarthria, or difficulty in speaking. Sometimes people with a brain injury might slur their speech, causing others who don’t know them to think, for example, they’re drunk or lack intelligence to keep up with the conversation.
“Hormonal imbalances,” the small structures at the base of the brain responsible for regulating the body’s hormones, are called the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Damage to these areas can lead to less or more release of one or more hormones. Together, they are vital in managing growth, hunger, thirst, puberty and sexual maturity, sexual functioning and libido, energy levels and weight. Damage to this part of the brain can be particularly problematic, especially for a children with, for example, stunted growth.
“Problems concentrating” can often find noisy environments difficult to handle for the brain-injured person (https://talesofastrokesurvivor.blog/i-get-overwhelmed-by-noise-as-stroke-survivor/), and even staggering, as you can become more disturbed. Noise is noise! Enough said!
As one anonymous person wrote, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
….no hope at all. Stand up for that saying. Remember, practice, even for those of you who subscribe to “can’t,” might surprise you!
