9 Things NOT to Say to Someone with a Brain Injury

On those rare occasions when I've told people what I live with after my accident, some have dismissively said, "Oh, I go through that too." That really ticks me off. I tell them, "I suggest you go out and get a brain trauma and when you come back, then we can compare notes." 

What really gets me is when someone asks if it still hurts!  (Mine was almost 30 years ago.)

I really found this to be very helpful, I think that I will do as others have suggested and post this on my Facebook page.  :)  That way, the "You look fine"s/"You seem fine to me"s will fade away, hopefully.  In any event, I believe you forgot one:  One of my biggest pet peeves, post-TBI is the whole, "I never said that/You said X/That conversation never happened (or didn't happen the way you remember)" thing.  I could do without hearing that forever.  It seems that my short-term memory, even these (almost) 29 years later, is not nearly as perfect as I would have it.  *sighs*  Another one that I hear all the time from my boyfriend is that, "Oh, so your life isn't worth living if you're not superior to everyone else, is that it?"  Simply because I *used* to have an eidetic memory, and now my memory is like a... metal things with holes in 'em... Sieve!  ;)  Seriously, I knew the word 'sieve' belonged there, but you get my point.  Searching for the right word is annoying when you used to know all the words in the dictionary, then you got bored and read the medical dictionary and Gray's Anatomy, too.  *sighs*

I have had my TBI since 1995 ( I turned 17 in a coma)   Im almost 36 now.....I wish I didn't live.  Nobody understands me ( what friends I have))!!!!      I had more friends then I knew what to do with?

It's not just what people say that's the biggest problem.  I would say my biggest problem with uninjured people is the looks and the assumption people have when either talking to me, walking by me, or in an area with me.  I'm 15 years post injury, and I've been able to come back almost fully with some deficiencies in my memory and/or speech but I appear injury free.  That's my biggest problem with uninjured people is that because I look relatively "normal" and I have problems remembering or getting more agitated, they think I'm doing this on purpose.  I'm not which is probably my biggest handicap now, frustration and channeling that frustration into something more productive and beneficial.  Finally, I would have to say if people want to understand head injuries more proficiently, get on an airplane, travel to a country they've never heard of, and try to fit in with the natives as if you've lived there your entire life.<span style="\\&quot;line-height:" 1.6em;\\"=""> 

I have a few people in my life who have suffered brain injuries, and this is a helpful reminder about things not to say.  I'd like things that WOULD be helpful to say, though.

I understand SO much - ALL of what has been written. It seems that no one has a clue about brain injury or the effects it has on individuals but those who have lived it! Especially, in the long term. As with all things, as mentioned many times, if others cannot see or experience it first hand it, they DO NOT BELIEVE IT! I have friends whom I will never spend time with again and I do not know how much longer I can stay married to my own husband!!!!!!! He was not around when my severe TBI occurred, refuses to educate himself on the facts, work WITH me on things that can help me with organization, etc, etc, etc, and blame me for everything and my "laziness" and "character".    God bless you all !

I have heard a few of those. I stopped talking to the public because nobody would give me time to finish my sentence. I got tired of the "you're from outer space" look. I isolated myself, now I find that I have anxiety attacks when I have to speak in professional situations. I want to go back to work, but I no longer have confidence I used to. I need a class or something to help me .

I AM A TBI SURVIVER 6/22/07   2 MONTHS IN ICU WITH INDUCED COMAS.  WENT TO REHAB 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR A YEAR.  LOST ALL PAST OR PRESENT MEMORIES.  I AM MUCH BETTER NOW, MAINLY BECAUSE I HAD GOOD CARE AND DOCTORS.  BUT MOST OF ALL I HAVE THERAPIST WHO IS ALSO A TBI SURVIVOR HERSELF.  I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A THERAPIST WHO IS ALSO A TBI SURVIVOR!  I AM A MUCH MORE POSITIVE THINKER NOW AFTER THE ACCIDENT.  I BELIEVE THAT OUT OF EVERYTHING BAD THAT HAPPENS SOMETHING GOOD COMES OUT OF IT , IF YOU ARE "PATIENT" AND ACCEPTING.  I NOW DO VOLUNTEER WORK IN THE REHAB FACILITY I GOT BETTER AT.  I WORK PRIMARILY IN THE TBI UNIT AND AM TOLD BY THE THERAPISTS AND DOCTORS HOW GOOD IT IS TO HAVE ME THERE.  BECAUSE IT IS GOOD FOR NEW PATIENTS TO KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE.  I AM SO GLAD MY THERAPIST TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEBSITE!      GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY,  DAVID B. ST. LOUIS, MO.

#9 Let's me know that I'm not alone. I really want to strangle people when they tell me I'm "lucky to be alive."  Lucky was what I was 12 and a half months ago. Thank you for this.

I've had TBI since 9/96, I was in the hospital for 2 months - when I did get out I had to go to physical therapy for 1 year 40/hrs a week - to learn how to walk,talk,eat everything like I was a 1 year old, I got TBI from a car accident which I also lost my 8 year old daughter in. I didn't know that because I was in a coma for 5 weeks - when they told me her name I didn't remember who she was and it took me along time to remember anything. To this day I don't remember the accident because I was sleeping - my boyfriend was driving.  A man ran a stop sign and hit us and that is how it happened.  The man who hit us was drunk .23 and my boyfriend also had a .09 but it was his 4th one. So needless to say he doesn't have a license anymore. After I got out of hospital I started doing my therapy and in that time I became pregnant - but didn't know until I was 3 1/2 months because with having the BI it made all my female things stop. Anyway I ended up marrying my boyfriend when I was 5 months preg. because he never had a kid and I wanted to have another.  All was good for about the first 4 years after we married then it just started going down hill - of course it was my fault because I have BI - but we moved to a northern state for him to get his degree (he's from up north) I've always lived in FL. so didn't know anything about driving in snow and ALL that goes with living up north and remember he didn't have a license so I had to do all the driving also was raising a 4 year old. We lived up north for 4 years then I told him I was moving back w or w/o him and he came because he was having a problem getting a job w/o a license. So now we were back and he got a good job making good money but everyday when I would go take him to work and my son to school I would then go p/u son and a hour later have to go pick him up from work. He would come home eat the dinner I cooked then go to the spear bedroom where he played video games like 4 to 5 days a week. One night he went in there after dinner and I put our son to bed then I went to bed a little later but woke up at 5am to find him not in bed - I was like "OH no he fell asleep in the spare room." So I got up real quick to go get him and he was awake still playing video games. That was a Mon. and we had been fighting for like 2 to 3 years before so on Fri. while he was at work I moved and lived with friends until I could buy a house,I bought one 30 miles from his and our son hasn't and won't come stay w/me he stayed living at the other house because of school, friends and of course his dad is cool and plays video games like he does. Now I have a nice house/divorced from the one I fought with all the time and I'm living on disability and alimony.  Fun Fun!!!  My ex acts like he's all happy but I bet the place hasn't been clean since I moved and my son only sees me when I go take him to get something to eat or drink or clothes shopping or whatever he might need or want to do. I've moved out and am doing the best for myself but I miss my son!!!!! He wouldn't come stay with me when I lived 5 miles away because he said it felt weird staying over someone's house. "I'm his mom and I had a bedroom for him then and now at the house I bought I got him a bed, dresser, cable tv in there and he still doesn't want to come stay with me.  I told him if he would come up like once a month that would be great and he won't do that.  But of course my Ex makes a deal about it because I never have him spend the night.  How are u supposed to make a 16 year old come stay if he doesn't want to?? But by the divorce parenting plan he is supposed too but won't. So that is how it is for me now. Yuk!!!!!

RE: "I wish i didn't have TBI. it been impacting too much on my life now that i am in college. i cry almost every day thinking about the past. this college has been so unfair to me. I keep thinking will i ever make it through with my biology degree in my hand."

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Above......hang in there.....i was in the  same situation in 1985. I had my TBI just after my 3rd year in College as a college baseball player. It was tough.....I cried most days as well. I graduated after my 5th year with my BS in Bus Admin. I have been a small business owner for the last 10 years as a Financial Advisor and Insurance Professional.

Good luck...I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone, although it seems that way. I'm pulling for you.

I had a minor concussion about 11 months ago from snowboarding. I had a helmet on but.. i do not remember but i think my snowboard hit my head through the helmet I had a lot of these symptoms and still experience memory loss. Unfortunately, I feel anxiety, independence and articulating speech are the toughest to struggle with. One thing I am not sure about is.. it has been almost a year, am I still suppose to be experiencing discomfort with my everyday tasks? I can't seem to hold on to thoughts for long or recall memories as easily or frequently...

I suffered a brain injury in early 2011, from hypoxia due to a cardiac arrest. While most of this article resonates, you left out a very common thing people say. When a brain injured person tells a "normal" person that they have memory problems, the normal person tries to make them feel better by saying something like "Oh, that happens to me all the time! I forget stuff all the time."

The normal person simply does not realize how different their forgetfulness is from a brain-injury survivor's innate memory issues.