Hi Vrie- my brain injury was termed "moderate" - and if you ask family members, they would say it took 10 years before I began functioning socially and otherwise on a somewhat normal level. I still have my difficulties, but learned the brain isn't a machine that functions at the same level each day- some days are better, some worse, same for months! Unfortunate that such an important organ takes longer to heal than any other part of the body (or so I've been told). I worry about your friend's chronic pain- it has been known to result in depression. I once knew someone who had chronic pain following a motorcycle accident and they ended up having to take rather heavy-duty pain medication for many years. This person quite disliked having to do that, but otherwise quality of life was so bad due to the constant pain and depression it became barely tolerable. Took some "swallowing of pride" to start swallowing pills, but things got better after that. I don't know what the situation was with brain injury or lack thereof in that case- so I apologize if that makes a difference. Perhaps only a doctor or PharmD would know about that.