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What Are Disorders of Consciousness?

Digital graphic of a face looking up at a burst of colorful lines

The term “disorder of consciousness” (DoC) describes a group of conditions that involve difficulty with awareness that includes coma, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state, and minimal conscious state.

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ACRM BI-ISIG Disorders of Consciousness Family Education Guide

Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) can be difficult to understand. Many families may ask, “Why isn’t my loved one waking up?” The following educational resources will help to answer those questions as well as many others related to the injury, diagnosis, prognosis, resources available, and care of your loved one after severe brain injury.

What Types of Treatments can Facilitate Recovery in People with Disorders of Consciousness (DoC)?

Nurse checks an IV bag while other doctors and nurses attend a patient in a coma

This section will guide you in understanding some treatments for disorders of consciousness (DoC), who may be involved in their treatments and what they do, and kinds of medications that may be helpful.

What Is Caregiver Fatigue and Burnout?

Exhausted black woman sits on the floor hugging her knees, an empty batter symbol above her

Caregiver fatigue and burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion a caregiver can experience.

What Part of the Brain Is Damaged in a Person with a Disorder of Consciousness (DoC)?

A neurologist uses a pen to point to an MRI on a computer monitor

If your loved one has a disorder of consciousness (DoC), they have injured one or more parts of the brain that control their ability to stay awake, be aware of what is going on around them, think, and interact with the world.

Life After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Journey of Resilience and Caregiving

David and his wife smiling by a stone arch

I feel ready to move through whatever comes next. After all, I really only need to worry about making today a well-lived day. Tomorrow is none of my business.

What Are Disorders of Consciousness?

A young black person in a coma lying in a hospital bed

Will My Loved One Regain Consciousness and What Should I Expect for My Loved One’s Recovery?

Person holding a loved one's hand in hospital bed

Recovery from severe brain injury takes a long time. It usually happens in stages.

The Repetitive Trauma of Being Othered

A rainbow Gay Pride flag painted on a brick wall

I need to be more open about who I am. All of me. I cannot be afraid. I won’t hide anymore. Now, I will be my true self. And I’m ready to stand with anyone else who feels the same.

Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E.

Histogram of Athlete CTE Status by Years of American Football Played

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy associated with repetitive head impacts. These findings implicate cumulative head impact intensity in CTE pathogenesis.

Being a Survivor of a Survivor: A Mom’s Firsts

Norma and Steven smiling in front of a large tree at the cemetery

Exploring my own "firsts," though painful at times, are positive reminders that I’m also on my road to recovery — alongside my amazing son, Steven.

Drawing, making music and writing poetry can support healing and bring more humanity to health care in US hospitals

Mixed media painting showing side view of a person's head in the foreground.

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the deep need that people feel for human touch and connection in hospital settings. Having relatives peering through windows at their loved ones or unable to enter hospitals altogether exacerbated the lack of human intimacy that is all too common in health care settings.

Lost Memories and Living in the Present: Reflections of a Brain Injury Survivor

David and his wife smiling in front of trees on a sunny day

Over the last couple of years, I’ve discovered mindfulness and have learned the value of living life “in the moment.” It’s a learned skill that has enabled me to find peace in my life. In what amounts to almost an irony, I no longer have much of my past to recall. The future never really comes. By circumstance, rather than any virtue, I am now forced to live in the moment.

Concussion: almost half of people still show signs of brain injury after six months

A digital drawing of a person's thalamus, lit up in the center of their brain.

A study found changes in the way the thalamus functioned in people who’d had concussion.

Living With PTSD – Taking A Victory Lap

David and his wife in front of graffiti art

Now, well into my thirteenth year since my accident, I have a very good working relationship with both TBI and PTSD.

Loneliness is making us physically sick, but social prescribing can treat it – podcast

Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly becoming societal problems, as they contribute to polarization and affect our physical health. Mental health professionals, community advocates and health-care providers have been raising the alarm about this impending crisis.

Grief and Triggers – Talking About Death with Friends and Strangers

Russ, Stacey, and Elizabeth dressed as pirates

This month has been a whirlwind of pain, triggers, and generally not great behavior from both Russ and myself. Our eldest daughter, Elizabeth Shade-Ware, died unexpectedly in her sleep. Suffice it to say, I am a wreck...

Ignoring the Inner Narrative

David and his wife smiling by a sunny pier

Living with a brain injury is, by far, the most complicated thing I have ever done. There have been great joys, stunning victories, and, somehow against all odds, I’ve carved out this amazing life. Sometimes, I just need to remind myself that just because I think something, doesn’t mean that it’s true.

The Difficulties of Parenting with PTSD/TBI or How to Train Your Dragon

Russ in armor riding an inflatable dragon

Sometimes it feels like I am a single parent. That breaks my heart to say because my husband really is a fantastic parent as long as he’s not triggered or having a chronic pain flare-up.

Secondary PTSD Can Exist for the Whole Family After a Traumatic Brain Injury

It was not until the family attended an event through the Wounded Warrior Project that Caregiver and Mother Pam Estes learned about and understood the depths of secondary PTSD. Even 17 years after her son, Army Veteran Jason Ehrhart, sustained a TBI, she and other members of the family still "have their moments."

Caregiver and Mother Pam Estes on the Importance of Staying Connected to Community Post-TBI

Caregiver and Mother Pam Estes talks about how staying involved in veteran-oriented community events has helped her son and the whole family feel supported.

Adaptive Sports Help Wounded Veteran Feel More "Normal" and Help Heal Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Jason Ehrhart sit-skiing with an instructor

U.S. Army Veteran Jason Ehrhart and his Caregiver and mother, Pam Estes, share how adaptive sports like sit-skiing help heal traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Art Therapist Stephanie Clark on the Transformative Power of Art Therapy for Veterans

Veteran art therapy masks on display in rows on a light wood wall

Showing the fronts and backs of masks made by veterans with PTSD and TBI, Art Therapist Stephanie Clark talks about how through the process of making, a veteran can process and better understand their traumas.

Good News Disguised as Bad News

David and his wife smiling surrounded by foliage

Last month, I found out that I qualified for a Cornell University research study about brain injury.... I ruefully admit that I was nervous going into the testing. What brokenness in me would they find? I do pretty well these days, well enough that most people might not notice my challenges. But I still have an ego and can be more sensitive that I care to admit.

Army Veteran Tom Voss on Expanding His Meditation Practice to Help Other Veterans with PTSD

Army Veteran Tom Voss says that when he took his first meditation workshop, he recognized that it could be helpful for other veterans like him struggling with PTSD and moral injury. He started to host classes and workshops and as he did, he says his own capacity to heal and help others heal expanded.