How Positive Relationships Can Help Recovery

Virginia Commonwealth Model Systems of Care
How Positive Relationships Can Help Recovery

Positive relationships can help us feel better about our lives and give us a sense of belonging and self-worth.

After a brain injury, relationships become even more important. Positive relationships can help with recovery in many ways. When people face new challenges, they need to have people they can talk to about their thoughts and feelings. Talking with a close friend or relative can be a great way to cope with and come to accept injury-related changes.

  • Talking with people you trust is a helpful way to sort out the new and difficult problems you are facing. They may be able to help you figure out solutions to your problems.
  • Close family and friends may be able to give you feedback about how you are doing in your recovery and what you still need to work on.
  • After brain injury, many survivors feel like no one understands what they are going through. They may feel isolated and alone. Talking with close family and friends may help you feel less lonely and misunderstood. Having positive people in your life may also help you feel like you are part of a team. Having a team behind you is easier than trying to handle everything on your own.
  • Positive friends and family members will encourage you to do things that help you — like exercise, eat right, take breaks, have fun, take care of yourself, or ask for help when you need it. They will also encourage you to avoid things that might hurt you — like alcohol, drugs, smoking, and dangerous activities.
  • Spending time with people you care about is a great way to manage stress and frustration.

Spend some time thinking about the positive changes that may come about in your life when you have good relationships. Talk to the important people in your life and find ways to tell them how much they mean to you.

Posted on BrainLine January 30, 2009.

From the National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury, Virginia Commonwealth Model Systems of Care. Reprinted with permission.

Comments (7)

Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

I hope this is at Barnes n Noble so I can send it to my son who's in jail with Glasgow 3, going to mental and drug rehab. Me being unaware of the seriousness of his injury I had no choice

There are too many who get left behind .

Is it normal for a spouse to avoid the injured and keep the kids away?

What about a spouse who shuts down and is not there for his wife after a TBI?

How do negative relationships affect recovery?

Negative energy will slow in your recovery. Even if the other person is just trying to push you more (thanking that they are helping you heal faster) such as a spouse leaving important decisions up to the one with TBI, the pt my feel a lot more anxious and worried about messing something up.
Causing anxiety and increase in stress only slows down the patient

This is so very true i am lucky to have a few good friends and family who have stuck me all the way and i am so very grateful don't know how i'd have got thi far without them.  There are some who let me down and couldn't go the distance but i have really learnt who my real friends are in all this.