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30-DAY WRITING CHALLENGE / 3 SEPTEMBER 2022
The Surprising Benefit of Having an ABI
How gratitude changed my life after a brain injury
Many years ago, I underwent nontraumatic brain surgery. I consider myself thankful for the support and encouragement I received during that time.
While the physical trauma carries with it one set of recovery costs, I was not prepared for the emotional and mental side of recovery. I believed, hey, I’m out of the hospital, so I must be okay. I was so wrong.
After the hospital is when the real work of recovery begins. After a few more errors than trials, I found a Brain Injury Association where I got to meet other Brain Injury Survivors. I needed those connections to begin my healing process. My life needed to change and learn how to flow with the new “normal.”
One of the many pits that an ABI (Aquired Brain Injury) survivor can fall into is constantly beating themselves up over what they can no longer do. Mourning the loss of who they were and nose-diving into the belief that they are now useless or a burden to their family and society as a whole.
Oscillating between anger at having an ABI to depression at feeling useless, survivors end up placing their lives on an indeterminate hold. Unwilling to…
