Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury 

TBI It is one of the worst things to experience with the constant pain etc. When you go from a GPA of just under 4.0, and suddenly.. you are compared to a middle schooler with less than average perception ... is extremely hard, especially when you are working towards getting your degree.... then you lose your job, then you can't pay or understand your courses so you have to forfeit it, and any independence you have left is gone because you need someone with you everywhere you go because you can't comprehend or remember what you are doing. it has been 3 years... working on 4 years now dealing with it and I am still fighting to get help/insurance/SSD/lawyers etc. All because of, "You look fine, there's nothing visually wrong with you" "I don't know what is wrong with you", "Sorry I can't help you". It seems if you don't look disabled, no one wants to help you..

Thanks for posting this! I had a severe TBI last summer and didn't know anything about my condition. I am just SO happy to be alive and after watching this, I am real thankful to be as functional as I am!

I agree the worst aspect of TBI is that it is such an invisible disability...

I suffered a serious TBI in 2015 and was told repeatedly that I needed to "accept" it. I refused and it took me a few years to finally accept it. However now I have move passed acceptance to embracing the new me. I firmly believe you must fight through your injury until you have reached the point of acceptance but its just as important to move pass that to "embracing" the new you....prayers to all TBI suffers and their families.

After surviving a severe TBI (coma for weeks) I have re-learnt all basic functions, I am now studying for an Msc. in Psychology which I juggle with two young children. I felt I had to go back and remember, I felt that the TBI part of my identity was complicated and misunderstood. I watched this and felt like part of a community again. I dont have any family support, or a partner or regular carer - so it is easy to feel really stranded - good stuff!

I had a traumatic brain injury when I was 8 years old. You would meet me on the street and never even suspect it. I tell people about my story and they do not believe me. I was in a coma for two weeks, when I woke up I was in a wheel chair for the next couple months. Then I learned how to walk, talk, eat, breathe, I counted every step I took, every words I said, syllables, everything, now I'm sane. They said I said should be dead.Not only have I overcame my traumatic brain injury, I have exceeded every obstacles they thought I would never be able to reach. DO NOT LET THIS HOLD YOU BACK. Move forward and challenge yourself, be determined, set your goals, aim further.

My experience has been that my mind and my brain are not the same thing. My mind knows what it wants to do - my brain frequently cannot do what my mind has directed and that's when the massive frustration and anger are triggered in the damaged emotional centre of my brain.

I've had a mild TBI even though I was in a coma for three months. I was in a motorcycle accident. April 24 in 2016 was my two year anniversary. I was going to school to be a physical therapist, but I'm just going to finish my Health and Exercise Science degree to be a pharmacist and an athletic trainer to train people in health and fitness.

At 2:15 she says "it doesn't take very much pressure for my mind to go blank." This is my biggets obstacle in college. I'm 48 now, and just returned to college in Janurary after a 21-year recovery. I go to Purdue. It was a HUGE deal to be accepted, considering I was predicted to be in a nursing home by now. My mind will shut off half way through algebra, or in my tech class while programming a circuit board. If I can't understand a concept readily, my brain just locks up, leaving me useless for the rest of the day. It's incredibly frustrating. I'm as intelligent as I ever was, it's just hard to get it in there. lol

Wonderful uplifting video based on the reality of life after TBI.. enjoyed watching it!

Thank you for this video. I had TBI about 4 months ago. That is really hard and stressful, especially for ambitious people. It’s hard to talk and find words sometimes, memory issues, so as amnesia, it’s hard to believe that it happened to me. I try to focus on the positive side, the fact that I’m alive:)

i bet its frustrating. Can you imagine being a very intelligent person and one day getting a head injury and you know you're intelligent yet your brain don't work.

I think it's possible for his old personality to return. My personality changed a great deal after my TBI, but I was able to return to the "old me" personality. But than again I am fairly young so maybe my brain healed faster...I don't know. But I really hope he does come back to his old self!

I can identify with so much in this video. In 1989 I suffered a concussion, fracture and internal bleeding (epidural hematoma) from a vehicle accident. They had to remove about a one inch piece of skull and pick out the Dried blood, that was after being unsuccessful with a bur hole. And I now have a piece of composite filling the larger hole. Well, I didn't really have functioning problems after that injury, I was able to keep working. Fast forward to March 2005 and I came home from a deployment, and had a lot of problems functioning. I ended up being diagnosed with TBI in November 2005 after full cognitive testing. Anyway, thanks for posting this.

how terrible to go thru things like this.

I hit my head against a concrete wall when I was 10, following a lengthy stay in a hospital and a permanent “harry potter” scar on my forehead I’ve always been considered weird by everyone and I have zero people social skills, I get angry and aggressive very easily, I have a tough time feeling empathy towards other people, and I am constantly frustrated and depressed. I am 27 now and I feel like everything is only getting worse, starting to have problems doing my job and have never had a single romantic relationship (other than just sex). The worst thing is I don’t think I would ever be able to kill myself so I am doomed to suffer, amazing!

Been wondering if there's programs that would help when my uncle got in a car accident it was like Hospital rehabilitation center and he was very violent nobody could handle him he got way better and I feel like all the medication that he's on make some sleep a lot yeah I just need help and directions on where to go what to do ...

I've had my brain injury since 1999, no day is the same

I’ve had six TBI‘s, and I’ve never had a doctor that took interest in rehabilitation even when I asked.

I had a tumor on my pineal gland that blocked where spinal fluid exists your brain. I was misdiagnosed three time so I had months of pressure on my brain. During the biopsy the doctor messed up and my brain hemorrhaged and sent me to the ICU for a week. I don't remember any of it except when they had to connect the halo to my head. The cancer also wrecked my thyroid. Multiple life long side effects. That was in 1993 when I was 13. 23 years of struggling with everyday life. If you're reading this and in pain you're not alone. 8 )

I SLIPPED AND FELL ON ICE AT WORK AND BANG MY HEAD A COUPLE OF TIMES ON MY WAY TO THE GROUND AND BECAUSE THE INJURIES AREN'T NOTICEABLE TO THE NAKED EYE, EVEYONE THINKS I'M OK. I HAVE A SPEECH PROBLEM, SEVERE MIGRAINES, DIZZINESS AND WEAKNESS IN MY LIMBS.

19:00 27 years after a car wreck. I went from Type A, go-getter, hyper energetic person to not being able to wake up until late in the day. Can't sleep. Getting help is impossible. Kathleen Bell, MD seems to speak from my perspective. I can't initiate activities and KNOW what needs done - just can't giddy-up. Took years to get a diagnosis.

I feel guilty as so many people are not the cause of there brain trauma, where im to blame for mine i was in a realy bad place and it seemed to be the only way out it was actually a suicide attempt by drug overdose I stoped breathing for a while and was found unresponsive and the lack of oxygen to my brain caused hypoxia a type of brain injury but to everyone else I look and seem normal but I seize up and go all stiff and fall, my body completely locks up especially if I'm in crowded places or im about to be attacked wich means I cant defend myself or my family it worries me alot I just dont feel safe anywhere. There must be somthing I can do

i have mild brain damage i find it hard to think sometimes.

Living with TBI is a nightmare.

I've also survived my brain injury but im coming out of the other side now!!!

I needed this video this morning. Thank you all for sharing

If only people with out disabilities new how it feels

Thank you. In still struggling with family, work and long term relationships 10.5 years on but I have done lots of wonderful things.

The angriest and most frustrated TBI survivors I've met were very high functioning before the injury. They kept saying they were going back to the same job, even though that was not true. Realistic goals are extremely important.

I've had to live with Traumatic Brain Injury-(TBI) for 25 years .. The frustrations are still overwhelming....

I often wish that I died from the brain injury accident I had 22 years ago. You turn into a different person. Parts of my brain are gone but the doctor will not tell me that. The friend I had then was at the scene and told me he saw my brains. Doesn't matter how good you are ALWAYS wear a helmet especially when you're drinking booze and riding.

When she says "I cant trust myself to remember" thats my situation.

I was shot in the head. I have TBI and I'm blind in my left eye. I struggle every single day and if you don't know you'll look at me and think nothing is wrong. I'm trying to do better but every day is an intense struggle. I don't want this for anyone but knowing there are other people out there that can relate helps. To everyone. God is there for us.

Severe Penetrating TBI Diffuse Axonal Injury Subdural Hematoma Looking at me you would be hard pressed to see any of these things having happened to me, but every day life and depression are so much harder. I’ve been trying to find a way to feel useful again, but it’s been hard

This brings more problems than people realize, and what is the hardest is the lack of mercy from those who are closest to us. I hear "I admire you", and it helps. I would love to hear this from my immediate family. It's wearisome to get in trouble, although no one means it to come off that way. Education softens what is said to our loved ones. I feel lonely, but I know that is part of the emotional aspect of TBI. I learn or do something new.... and it's not looked at as a great milestone! 13 years. There is no way to explain, no way to mimic, we just rely on kindness and understanding. Family is our greatest love, and when they aren't around, it's very difficult. One gets tired of answering "why do you do this, or that, or this way or that way." I would, if I only I only knew how!:)

Why did trump have to say, no casualty to 10 headaches, finally 100+ brain injury TDI in short. From Iran missile attack in Iraq. SAD BETTER TO LOSE LIMBS THAN HAVE HEADACHES,

As a TBI survivor, I'm reminded everyday how blessed I am. I'm beyond fortunate that I can do everything I did before my injury. I used to be angry, didn't understand why this happened to me, but I see all the time that I had no real reason to be angry

8 years ago I was in a motorcycle wreck I went down at 80 mph head first no helmet Total death of right front lobe the difficulty I deal with is unbelievable I remember what I was like before the wreak compared to how I am now is night and day I really breKs me some days

Brian is so sweet, he reminds me of my son, my son is in a vegatative state with TBI, he's still in oxygen 24 hours a day to help him breath, I know my my son is aware of what's going around him just can't talk or move but when I walk in his room and I talk to him he wakes up by listening to my voice I know my son will have difficulties with his speech once he starts to recover, I know how people are going thru with TBI I'm going thru it with my son

i wish i could snap out of this -- i can't get out to this for even one second. its been almost 3 year and nothing feels the same. i hate being awake

THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for this video!! I have a TBI from a motorcycle accident nearly 9 months ago. I am trying to learn how to be normal, function normal even though I can't remember most of my life prior to my accident. I don't even remember my family or kids or wife. I'm so miserable and I hate that I appear normal. People think because I look normal nothing is wrong but I don't even remember my "normal," my military history, my job as a VP of a major group of auto dealerships, or even where I live. I'm just a shell now. This video mainly helped me to realize I'm not alone in this struggle and I can find new things (I hope).

I had a TBI when i was 18 months old and I had a hard childhood from it. Never connected with my parents much or friends growing up because of my chaotic behavior. I never understood why i did the things i did as a kid. No rhyme or reason to being such an angry and crazy kid. I am 19 now and things are getting better but sometimes i wonder what my life would be like if i hadn’t had my fall. I get so angry :( and i always regret it.

this makes me not wanna do boxing anymore

Be helping and supporting each other, we give opportunities for joy and a dignified life.

I describe my brain injury as just bit lost at moment finding my way after all I died 26minutes hypoxia spent weeks months in coma rehab hospital learning talk walk again secret is never give up on yourself many will never yourselves never doctors said I will never talk walk again been a recovery massive discovery never ever give up sending love from headway Nottingham UK takecare xxx

I was involved in a bad motorcycle accident April 4th 2020. I have severe TBI. I can't drive or work and have right side weakness. I'm fortunate to survive the crash, I was in a coma for 5 days and in hospital for 6 weeks. I want to drive again and get back to work so everything is normal. I DON'T WISH TBI on ANYBODY, this SUCKS

I have a mental disability and people think I'm lazy as they can't see what the problem is. It is hurtful and upsetting.

if you need I would tell my story of how I got my brain injury and how I am dealing with it . work accident

I agree it is best for us TBIers to take things one day at a time....

I have had multiple injuries and im lucky im still alive. If i told my story people would think it is made up. I could rite a book.

Comments listed above by Tyler Butz who is my grandson and I am on his computer My name is Wayne Shaw. My concussions, mood swings memory lose had a lot too do with a divorce years ago and and had a lot to do with ending many good relationships over years. They also contributed to some significant business loses over the years. I was remeniscing with an old teammate centre recently and he remember an incident where I was playing guard [i was a starting linebacker for 12 years]& pulled the wrong way to collide with my brother Cliff, He started to call us dumb &dumber for a while which upset me very much. I showed him my Sask Education record of my Grade 12 marks which in those days [1956]were used all over the province and sent to Regina for uniform marking. I still have the record and I had average marks of 91.4% which led the class of 40 some students at Notre Dame College.and told my teammate if he could show me his records for Gr. 12 marks and they were better than mine he could call us dumb & dumber. He never showed his marks and never called us that again. It is funny odd & irritating that I can remember things 40 or 50 some years ago but can't remember many things that happened today or yesterday. There are other things that bother me about the concussion but memory lose, mood swings, migrane headaches are the worst and I suppose memory lose the worst since I had such a good memory at 17 when I could read a book or listen to a lecture and remember 91.4 % of what I read or heard. Now I would be lucky to remember 5 -10% of what I read or hear. There are many other things I would like to say about this but can't remember right now, maybe later Wayne Shaw. ps. I would be glad to answer anyones question on this subject that I could answer.

Also if you forget anything I tell myself it's not worth remembering giving up isn't a option keep going keep positive hidden disability people don't see that I tell myself they have the problem not you we are survivors sent back for a purpose live for today all amazing x

hi--i'm having a brain aureurism clamped on june 9th. i am very afraid. i worry--i have my teenage kids but noone that really understands what is about to happen--they are like-- you'll be fine--i don't say anything, don't want to worry them--being alone is hard. i live on disability after 20+ years as a nurse. i dont know how your supposed to live on less than 1000/month. please pray for me--thanks, kathy

I've had incidents at former employers that show how how my executive functioning is affected by my TBI...

What a differences day makes brain injury is a long haul. I was told that it's 15 years still huge struggles. Seizures. 5 more concussions. Cut off from my pip claim over half the time since my accident. I think punitive damages should be paid . Spinal cord injuries. I try to find a diamond inevery day.that is my service dog. I have been called brain damaged from a friend off friend who is a RN.that hurt.. so rvery one in the group chalked me that. I wanted to just die. Somestimes I still do. The pain mentally an physical, no friends, I used to have many. The anger will not go away. Mine was axil . I failed so much. I still start fires because I forget I am cooking. I worry I will catch on fire. I need attendant care. Denied by lying ime doctor my they rot in hell!!!!

I got knocked off my motorbike 11 months ago by a deer and hit my head. Contustion, bleeding and brain shear is what I'm told. My wife did some research afterword and was shocked to see that after gaining consciousness, with a shear I was to start therapy right away. Now I am on a 3 year wait list to see a neuropychologist. 11 months later, in a blow up of insane proportions caused by my anxiety (a new thing since the accident) she told me she had been trying to tell me for the last year that I need to find help, I disregarded and denied that I needed help beyond what I would get when I see the specialist. And this pushed her out of my life yesterday, now that I'm aware I need more help than I thought, it's a shame what it took to show me, but I am seeking it now. I can't believe the level of denial that I had, to blind me of what an ass I had become in stressful situations.

I can't even whatch this.. these poor victims I would would know why....its hell on earth And so many people have clue....multiple rear end car accidents within weeks Struggle everyday

I hope your healing Mikey and will recover to 100%. Hang in there, I'll keep you in my thoughts. Teresa

Very insightful. Thank you for sharing this, especially to those of us who have just reluctantly joined the TBI community. Brain fungus is a hard one to avoid let me tell you.

You can start to accept your new self but others don't,even your close family that's a real bummer

I also think TBI being such an invisible disability makes it more difficult to get SSDI and or public assistance because it is,suck an invisible disability.... After 10 years of unsuccessfully pursuing careers after my TBI it took me 15 years ...through 4 appeals... And 3 attorneys to FINALLY get approved for SSDI!!

I can relate to the lack of a sieve for my anger.. Trying to get my RU-vid channel feeds my frustrations a bit!!

I can relate with the feeling you wish you were dead.. but if I was dead I would miss out on the things I do that help my TBI issues improve such as model car building and playing Scrabble on my phone...

I have found support groups helpful because they "get it" more than family,friends and employers....

I can totally relate to the man in the video. i remember scooting around my house in a wheelchair, bumping holes in the hallway

Could I have a brain injury and don't even know

One thing I haven't noticed mentioned is the permanent, complete loss of the sense of smell. I have to have gas sensing alarm which can be purchased at the bigger hardware stores. I can't smell that "burning plastic smell" which precedes a lot of fires where smoke is not visible. Living with other people raises the paranoia of someone else accidentally starting a fire on their way out the door, or when they go to bed. Also the fear of my delayed response time to save others in the house.

Brian, you are Superman, very lovable sweet, too. Bless you.

I have a mild TBI from an auto accident, I was hit my a person who was DUI. Anyway that was three years ago. Initially I had some improvement during the first year. After that I seem to have reached a plateau where things have been the same for two years. This video showed me exactly what I going on, gave me language to explain how I feel and gave me new understanding of things that I could not understand. I am in therapy now and from this video I can now understand what my therapist is doing.

Thanks for sharing and gives me inspiration! I had a bike accident and have TBI... Still searching for more understandings and knowledge online. Waking up everyday and fighting hard to survive thru the day is my weakness...

Ive had 4 brain injuries and everyone was a different part of the brain

"It doesn't take much pressure to make my mind go blank" hits really close to home for me, though it doesn't fall under specifically tbi, I do have a brain injury because of getting encephaliti as a child, after around 10 years I'm finally starting to accept it and the long term effects of it, these videos help me a lot

I want to give him the biggest healing hug. I know how he feels.

I think the man was sick 😷 the 🧠 brain

my life changed May 25th 2014 with my TBI check my FB Neil Brown before and after the date before is a different person.

Inspiration is fine and it brings in donations but truth is what we survivors need.

I have improved a lot over the past few years but my memory and executive function still are not great. My communication has improved significantly! For a while I couldn’t communicate very well. I struggled with reading and writing. At times I was able to write something down but then later I couldn’t read it. Or I thought I was writing something down but later it was a jumbled mess of letters that had no meaning and sometimes you couldn’t even figure what letter it was supposed to be. And I couldn’t remember! There were times when I was told to put my shoes on because we had to leave soon for my appointment. I would put one shoe on and sit up to catch my breath and then I wasn’t sure if I was putting my shoes on or taking them off. It was overwhelmingly stressful and at times I felt like I wish I would have died. And I didn’t understand why everyone who supposedly loves me was yelling at me all the time and seemingly hated me! And then someone said to me one day you know everything isn’t always about you! And I realized that because I was unable to be who I was before that I was not able to be supportive like I once was, and I was not as self sufficient as I used to be, not only has my world flipped upside down but so has everyone else’s lives! And sometimes it is difficult to see that when you are struggling to get a grip on yourself. I have improved immensely and I have apologized to everyone in my family because I said that even though it was beyond my control and I don’t remember a lot, I also realize that it has been a major stress on you and that you have to take care of yourself first because it’s not fair for anyone to have to devote all their time and attention to me. A major factor in my recovery is that I was finally diagnosed with temporal lobe seizures which really affected my perception of reality and my memory. With medication I have improved so much I feel like a completely different person. I have throughout this journey felt like I have morphed into different versions of myself. It’s hard to explain. I’m not the me I used to be and I’m not quite sure who I am now but I feel like I’m becoming someone stronger than I ever imagined I could be! And it’s not a straight line! It’s a dance and your never sure when the music is going to change but slowly you learn how to shift the dance as you go

Someone let me know how to find a new outlet that's inexpensive lol

13yrs ago, I suffered a TBI, and today, I deal with Dycristic seizures. I was struck in the left side of my head. This injury happened after I had already a temporal lobectomy for epilepsy 20yrs earlier. I now have a VNS implant. My activities while at home on disability is building wood toys for hospitalized children.

I can relate to a lot of this since I've had two TBIs-( 1 from childhood traumas and 1 from a bad motor vehicle accident..)

Post TBI I attempted several carrers and failed due to my TBI-( Special Education Teacher,Car Salesman,911 Radio Dispatcher)... This led to increased Depression,Anxiety and Suicidal thoughts... I now have a somewhat decent quality of life through SSDI-( Social Security Disability Income),my part time job driving for a Car Dealership and my Model Car Building hobby... ( I am having issues with the model car building hobby and hoping a med adjustment can help me continue the model building and control my intense Anger and Depression brought on by my TBI)..

Stay strong keep going doing amazing things bravo well done stay safe stay positive its time all in good time you got this sending love from headway Nottingham UK we are survivors fighters sending you all luck love good luck were the winners xxx

if you think you can or think you cant, your probably right, I'm a TBI survivor, I have recovered from left sided hemiplegia, and apraxia of speech. I got hit by a car when I was 3 in 1994, neuroscience was in its infancy back then so I was told that I could recover up until the age of about 6 when the critical period ends. That's basically a load of crap, because after i read a book called "the brain that changes it's self" after reading that book i Started to recover again in my mid-late 20s. My philosophy is to take everything you ever hear from anyone with a pinch of salt and to listen to what your brain and body are telling you rather than a bunch of idiot who know what they want people to believe

In 2021 I was hit head on by a military transport truck heading home from work. My battery was pushed through my face at the nose. It broke a 4 by 6 inch price of my skull off and embedded a sliver of steel in the brain also. Most of the tope part of my brain was a wreck. I couldn't understand what was work s long time I was told I broke 68 bones and was waiting to die but I did not feel nothing wrong with me outside the physical. I was told If never heal enough to ever walk age. Which to me was nuts it became my goal to walk to the point I could work I locked in on being able to walking gained 100 pounds in a nursing home with not help up put the bed it was to big a risk. I got home 16, months after and was hell bent on being able to walk cause that ment work. I was sure if I could do that I would be good. In my push to walk I did not notice the brain was not the same. I have now walked 166 miles since April 2033. My body is read and I have a new way of seeing the world but you can tell there is something off talking to me. I'm just to happy and asure of everything and I don't attempt to hid it it's just who I am. I am able to do just bout everything I believe but something in the way I hand socal interaction is holding me back I just noticed this brain is not ready but I'm going to give my son every second of my life cause he has went through all this with me. Until April 2023 when him mom picked him up and has kept him from me he is my rehab buddy at almost 4 we worked all day everyday. Since I was in the nursing home she moved on and there is no custody agreement sice we was not married this loss if my son is out of my hands and the added stress is way worse. They said it would take 3 years to help and that is 9 months away but this stress is trying to kill me and it is harder then it has to be on him also

I got off pretty good just forgot 6 months of my life and now I have some trouble with remembering but I learn pretty good and can maintain my life, excel at my job but yea I do struggle with remembering some things

I have a mental illness and a traumatic brain injury. Life is hard. Things are getting better lately but still feel sick with headaches and difficulty thinking.

I’ll tell u this life just will feel different u get a new one if u get lucky but for me it was good and u can just say wen u get pulled over oh I have a tbi imma say some dumb shit ahem excuse me officer it may seem like I’m saying some shit like I’m drunk but I think it needed to happen like I needed to get off the Xanax I desperately looked for and fentanyl sooooo now I’m tbi benny

Why don't you wanna try living with it and nobody cares about me they care about what is turning in there life. I can understand it all yet no help i get to be frustrated to no end of all of the earth try faster thinking and i get mad faster and faster and get out of my face with ptsd on top of this tbi so you wanna shove someone up in my face when i am pissed off wrong thing to do wrong very wrong

This is for youDad! I love you!

thank you for posting this i have a brain injury and am looking for ways to help myself as there is no assistance available to me .

I who have a tbi say take whatever marijuana products I can get cuz cbs work sooo good better then the pills

My dad had a car accident april of 2011. He has a traumatic brain injury an has a different personality. Im only 17 and I need my dad back.. Please help?

Good for you, Brian!! Earning that diploma! Go go Brian!

@10:12 ❤️😭🙏

Jesus Christ said that "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me" - JESUS CHRIST IS MY GOD, MY LORD, MY SAVIOR - GET SAVED - Jesus Christ Saves

I got beat up by three thugs they had me on the ground punching me in the head and when they were done they started kicking me in the head I was in a coma for two weeks it's been 4 years now I'm still going to the doctor's

Rehabilitation important.

I worked in this for about 2 years and I learned so much in challenging the patients and see life a different way I really Thank Centre for Nuero skills for teaching me a lot.

I also have a traumatic brain injury. Any questions please feel free to contact me.