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Second Chance to Live

Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury

Living with an Invisible Disability — Accepting Ourselves when Other People Can’t

November 3, 2014 by Second Chance to Live Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome back to Second Chance to Live my friend. I am happy to have you around my table. As you may know, I sustained my brain injury in 1967. Once the external wounds healed, the impact of my traumatic brain injury was never again factored into the difficulties that I experienced for the next 39 years. Consequently, I found myself living with bewildering conundrum of living with an invisible disability. For more detailed information, please click on this link: Detailed About Page. In my experience, when I reached a point in my life where the pain of denying my reality, exceeded the pain associated with my needing to deny my reality (so that I would not feel flawed and defective) I found myself angry,confused and depressed.

The reality was that I had felt flawed and defective for many years. I felt flawed and defective because I was unable to meet the expectations of many people — who could or would not accept the possibility that my life was being impacted by the open skull fracture that I experienced when I was 10 years old. I have heard that anger turned inward is depression. Because I received blame and criticism for not meeting expectations, I internalized my inability to meet those expectations as a reflection of who I was as an individual.

I wrote an article in May 2007 to explain what I discovered as I came out of denial: Whose Shame are you Carrying. Here is a link to that article  Whose Shame are You Carrying?  The information that I share in this article helped me understand why people wanted and even needed me to maintain the denial. As I moved through my denial, I became aware of the struggle that I faced when I interacted with people as an individual living with an invisible disability.” 

In August of 2007 I wrote a 4 part article series to share what I learned through my struggle of living with an invisible disability. For individuals; who are, like myself living with an invisible disability I would like to share this article series with you. In the article series I speak to the awareness’ that I have gained through my interactions with 4 different types of mindsets, as an individual who is living with an invisible disability. Gaining these awareness’, has given me the ability to better understand and accept myself and the people I interact with as an individual living with an invisible disability. These awareness’ have helped me to detach from what other people may choose to think about me. These awareness’s have helped me to stop picking on myself.

These awareness’ helped me to stop fighting against myself. These awareness’ helped me to stop joining in with the chorus of voices that criticized and berated me. These awareness’ have helped me to stop focusing on what I could not accomplish because of my invisible disability, so that I could learn how to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me. These awareness’ helped me to learn how to respect who I am, given my limitations; although I may not understand them. These awareness’ helped me to realize that I am powerless over what people chose to believe about me. These awareness’ helped me to realize that I need to keep the focus on myself, stay committed to my own course and run my own race. These awareness’ helped me to stop being driven to live some one else’s dream for me and start living my own dream.

Below are links to the 4 part article series. as mentioned above. I divided the article into 4 parts because of the length of the article. I did so to make reading the article more manageable. If I may suggest, I would encourage you to read through each part of the article series to benefit from the entire article.

My Struggle living with an Invisible Disability

My Struggle living with an Invisible Disability — Part 2

My Struggle living with an Invisible Disability — Part 3

My Struggle living with an Invisible Disability — Part 4

In April of 2014 I created a video presentation series of the article to share the information with individuals who learn more effectively through watching and listening. I also divided the article into 4 parts to make watching and listening to the presentation more manageable. If I may suggest, I would encourage you to watch each part of the video series to benefit from the entire video presentation series.

Below are links to the video presentation series that have been uploaded to You Tube:

My Struggle Living with an Invisible Disability Part 1 Video Presentation

Understanding the People we Interact with as Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors—Learning to Accept Our Reality Part 2 Video Presentation

Understanding the People we Interact with as Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors—Learning to Accept Our Reality Part 3 Video Presentation

Understanding the People we Interact with as Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors— Win / Win Outcomes Part 4 Video Presentation

As you listen to, watch or read my articles and questions come to mind, please send those questions to mind. All questions are good questions. In the event that you would like to leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.To do so, please use the below contact form. I will respond to your comments and questions.

You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however please attribute me as being the author of the article (s) video presentation (s), and provide a link back to the article (s) on Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you. Copyright 2007-2016.

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Meaning and Purpose, messages of hope, messages of hope and inspiration, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, military families affected by traumatic brain injuries, Military Personell impacted by Traumatic Brain Injuries, Military Traumatic Brain Injury Support Meetings, Motivaional Speaker, Motivational / Inspirational Speaker, No Longer a Victim, Overcome Being Bullied, Overcoming a Fear of Failure, Overcoming Adversity, Overcoming being Bullied, Overcoming Peer Pressure, Overcoming Societal Stigmatizatio, Overcoming Societal Stigmatization, Parents of children living with a brain injury, Parents of children with Acquired brain injuries, Personal, Personal empowerment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicide, Prayer, Progress, relationships, Resources for Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery, Revealing your Destiny, self-esteem, self-improvement, Self-Respect, Self-Respect and Significance, Serving humanity, Soldiers and Marines who sustained traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injury, Spiritual Principles, spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection, stroke, Suicide and Hope, tbi adults, tbi children, tbi families, tbi veterans, Traumatic / Acquired Brain Injury and Anger, Traumatic Brain Injury and being Bullied, Traumatic Brain Injury and Being Empowered, Traumatic Brain Injury and Comfort, Traumatic Brain Injury and Freedom from Isolation, traumatic brain injury and frustration, Traumatic Brain Injury and Hope, Traumatic Brain Injury and Learning, Traumatic Brain Injury and Significance, Traumatic Brain Injury and Suicide, Traumatic Brain Injury and What is my Destiny?, traumatic brain injury feeling alienated isolated, traumatic brain Injury in adults, Traumatic Brain Injury in children, traumatic brain injury in schools, traumatic brain injury Iraq, Traumatic Brain Injury Motivational Speaker, Traumatic Brain Injury Research and Resources, Traumatic Brain Injury Self-Esteem and Self-Worth, Traumatic Brain Injury Support 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