A traumatic brain injury occurs when you receive a blow or jolt to the head that disturbs your brain functions. Depending on the severity of the injury, you can be left with mild, moderate, or even severe traumatic brain injury. It can be caused by many things such as car or traffic accidents, active military service, or as the result of some sporting injuries.
Many people will consider the immediate effects of traumatic brain injury such as emergency treatment and a stay in a hospital. However, this type of injury has long-term effects that will continue long after you get discharged from a hospital. These are not just medical. There can be extensive financial and emotional costs of traumatic brain injuries too. Read on to discover what these are and how they might affect your life if you experience this type of injury.
Financial Costs
It can be easier to place a value on financial costs rather than emotional ones. Here are some of the financial costs you may not have considered.
Ongoing Care
Once you are discharged from a hospital you may still need ongoing care. Rehabilitation costs can run into hundreds of thousands, depending on how long you need to receive care. However, it is a price worth paying if it enables you to re-learn skills and live a fuller life.
Victims often find that there are lots of things they can’t do after surviving a traumatic head injury and this will depend on its severity. You will probably find that you are unable to drive, which leaves you reliant on cabs, public transport, and lifts from family and friends. You may also find yourself unable to take care of yourself. If you can’t do tasks such as washing, dressing, or feeding yourself, this can carry massive financial implications.
Home Costs
You may need to adapt your home to fit your reduced abilities, and this can be expensive. This can involve anything from adding rails in your bath or a seat in your shower to widening doors. In some cases, the best solution may be to move house entirely and live somewhere that has already been adapted to suit your needs, but there can be huge financial implications for this.
Loss Of Wages
In many cases, people with traumatic brain injuries are unable to return to the job they used to do. Some can work in less demanding roles, which may cause a huge reduction in salary, while others will need to give up work entirely. This may have a huge financial impact on you and your family, especially if you were the main breadwinner.
Emotional Implications
The emotional implications of a traumatic brain injury are less easy to define and often depend on the individual victim rather than the extent of the injury. Here are the main emotional implications.
Mental Health
Following an injury, you may experience mental health issues such as depression. This is quite common as you get used to your new way of life. You may experience an increase in anger and frustration as you learn to cope or accept that there are tasks and activities you can no longer do.
Relationships
These changes in your emotions can affect those around you too. You may find that your loved ones suffer from the same mental health issues as their lives may have been changed by your injury. This can lead to heightened emotions around you and it can affect the relationship you have with your loved ones, which can cause further anguish for everyone involved.
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder can be common following a traumatic injury and can cause lots of emotional issues such as fear and anxiety. It is most commonly considered to be prevalent in war veterans but it can affect anyone. For example, if your injury was sustained during a car accident, you may feel anxious about getting into a car again, even as a passenger, and this fear may prevent you from traveling. You may experience anxiety about leaving any safe space, such as your home, which can lead to issues such as agoraphobia. This can have a huge impact on how you live your life.
If you feel that your emotions are suffering as a result of your traumatic brain injury it is best to seek support from a mental health expert who can help and advise you through this difficult time.
A traumatic brain injury can leave you with more difficulties than physical ones alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals to get the help and support you need.
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