When someone suffers from a traumatic brain injury or TBI, neuropsychological symptoms can emerge in the aftermath. If you have a loved one with a TBI in Washington, you must know how to cope with the changes they may experience.
What types of symptoms do TBIs cause?
An individual’s behavioral issues may vary widely based on which brain area has been impacted and how severe of an injury it was. This creates the need for a broad range of coping techniques for friends and family members to stand by their injured loved one and help them through this difficult time.
Every person’s brain is unique, and so are brain injuries. This means the behavioral problems that may result are just as individual.
TBI sufferers may have a hard time using good judgment. They can be forgetful and lose the ability to control their impulses. Other symptoms include an altered personality and a diminished capacity to concentrate.
Remember, however intentional the behavior changes may seem, the injured person may not have full control over their thinking or actions. Their brain cells have sustained damage, which can lead to poor decision-making.
Change with the changes
One of the main keys to coping with these behavioral issues after a brain injury is to adapt. Building the relationship all over again might be necessary as you dramatically shift your expectations.
It’s helpful to be as structured as possible. Write out the routine and stick to it. Since the most essential skills likely have to be relearned, consistency is key, along with liberal doses of patience and kindness.
Remember to be gentle with yourself as you deal with your loved one’s changes in behavior. It’s perfectly natural to get angry or frustrated, even as you try your best to be understanding.
It’s often helpful to point your reactions out to your injured loved one and explain them to help provide some context. This might include when you smile at something funny or if you cry when something is sad. As you apply this practice to various social situations, it can help to guide them through how they should respond while making things easier on everyone else too.