No matter when you get your brain injury, someone is going to give you the news that you sustained a brain injury. Whether it is the doctor or family when you wake up or if it is your parents when you are of the right age.
The news is difficult to hear, and I could imagine it tough to give. It is a life-changing event, and people handle rough news in different ways.
I think that the best thing people can do when they break the news to them is just giving it time. The person just heard something tragic about what happened to them.
It will take some time to accept it. There are days where I have not accepted it, and I have had my injury for 24 years. I have known about it for probably 16 years but still.
Taking the News in
As the person telling them, let them come to you with questions. The sheer fact they found out they have a brain injury is overwhelming enough.
They will ask more questions about the event when they are ready. Some may be ready to ask questions right away and others it may take a few days to begin to wonder.
If it is you who has received the news, allow yourself to take it in. It is a lot to hear. When you are ready questions will come, and you can begin to understand what happened and what it means for your future.
There are still things I am learning about my brain injury. After one has come to terms with the event, they may start thinking towards the future.
Thinking about the future is a good sign, I believe. This may involve talks about therapy and ways to get back to their best life.
This is not a subject to push on. Let the person who gets the news come to you.
Please read my story to further understand why I started this blog.