A rehabilitation specialist who addressed my brain injury support group stressed the need to accept our current condition and the person we have become. Then, we use that as our starting point. Then, we will be able to categorize little improvements as gains. Instead, many consider them as inadequate. "Oh, I did not accomplish what I used to be able to accomplish." is wrong thinking. It stimulates bad brain chemistry. When we claim any little improvement as a gain, we stimulate good brain chemistry.

We may need to reinvent ourselves into something we would never have recognized before.

Check out Drew Lynch. He is a young man who suffered a concussion that left him with a profound stutter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5nMb4_ghvg

http://drewlynch.com/

Or, check out http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/bio/

He may not have a concussion issues but his life is full of challenges.

Is it tough ? H.... Yes it is. Can we do it ? Yes, we can.
Do we have times when we want to quit. Sure do.
Do we have times where, with the proper perspective we delight ourselves with a success? Yes we do.

Yes, brain struggles may be one of the worst disabilities, especially for intelligent minds. In fact, researchers show that the intelligent tend to suffer the worst. But, the intelligent also tend to accomplish more with less by finding ways around our dysfunctions.

I have pi... off doctors and other professionals with my ability to demonstrate a high intelligence (top 2 to 10% of the US population) while having horrible memory functions (bottom 5 to 12% of the US population). My processing speed is in the bottom 10% of the population. Many refuse to accept the memory dysfunctions as real. Yet, three different NeuroPsychs have tested me and found the same results.

My biggest gripe is quite simple. I DO NOT DRIVE. I can do anything else I want to do if I just have time to do it at my speed.

Very few of you have driving limitations. Be grateful.

Take inventory of what you can do. Take inventory of the environments where you can do it. Take inventory of the people in your life who still care. (Yes, I know some don't.)

Then, use that inventory to invent a new you that can move forward. Maybe there will be day where you get back to where you were before your injury. But, don't worry about that. You have no control over that issue.

Learn to pick your battles.

If anybody wants to go tit for tat and compare struggles because you think you have more than you can handle and than others have, PM me. I'll tell you if I have that struggle. When it became a problem in the past 50 years. And, what I have done about it.

I am nothing like I expected to be. But, I am 60 years old. Raised three successful kids as the sole income for my family in an expensive area (Silicon Valley, CA.).

I had planned on a career as a dentist since 8th grade. I wanted to specialize in orthodontics. But that changed my first year of college.

So, take inventory and reinvent yourself and move on.

We are here to help.