Every brain injury is different and the consequences are different for each person.
You may experience:
- physical effects, such as loss of strength in your limbs or swallowing difficulties.
- sensory consequences, such as loss of visual acuity or hearing impairments.
- communication consequences, such as problems expressing yourself or understanding spoken and written language.
- cognitive consequences, such as slower thinking or problems with planning and organisation.
- behavioural consequences, such as lacking initiative or being hyperactive.
- social consequences, such as feeling socially isolated.
- or a combination of these consequences which impacts your everyday functioning.
These consequences may result in other support needs.
⚠️You might notice some consequences early and others later.
The consequences of a brain injury can also be broken down as follows:
- visible consequences, such as difficulty walking, balance problems, being partially paralysed.
- invisible (or less visible) consequences, such as fatigue, having trouble concentrating, forgetting appointments more easily, having trouble planning things or reacting differently (more/less emotionally) to certain situations.
🚧 Challenge: these consequences can impact your ability to function in all kinds of professions.
You may find it hard to work out which work tasks are still feasible.
It may be hard for your employer to correctly deal with the consequences of your brain injury.
Moreover, the invisible consequences are often insufficiently recognised.
💪Opportunity: you will need to find a new balance between what you can do and what you want/need to do.
A brain injury has an impact on you, as a person , but also on your social environment .
After the shock of a sudden stroke or accident, hospitalisation follows. This is often an uncertain period: which consequences are temporary and which ones are permanent? It takes time to get an accurate picture of your capacities and challenges.
After rehabilitation, you can return home. What follows is a (long) process of adapting to new possibilities and finding the right balance. It is a quest for you, but also for people living with you.