Scroll down this page below my perspective for a list of links to articles. Click on the article title and the article will open for you.
My Perspective
Without peer support living with a brain injury can leave the individual feeling very alone and isolated. Individuals who previously were our friends seem to slip away. As they slip away we may feel increasingly alienated from both other people and ourselves. In feeling alienated from other people and ourselves we may feel as though no one understands us. We may feel abandoned. As we withdraw even more we may crave for family members to understand. But sometimes the support and understanding that we long for in family members is not available.
This lack of understanding and support can leave us feeling angry and frustrated at life. I experienced the above for many years until I began to realize that people can not give to me what they themselves do not possess. Not being able to give to me what I wanted did not mean that they didn’t love me. They just have a difficult time accepting what they could not see or understand. Although I tried to explain “it” to them in a thousand different ways, they could not identify with me. Instead at times they would tell me that they thought I was just making excuses. Their suggestion continued to frustrate me until I realized that:
Going to them and expecting them to understand and give support was like going to a hardware store looking to buy bread. Nevertheless, I continued to keep going back to people who could not give me the understanding and support I wanted. But as with hardware store not stocking bread, neither could people give me what they did not possess. Although I may be angry and frustrated with the hardware store for not having bread, hardware stores don’t have bread. So it is with certain people. Going to receive support and understanding from people who could not give “it” to me was pointless.
But I still wanted their support and understanding and I stayed frustrated!
Being frustrated and angry at them did nothing to change the situation. I wasted a lot of time and energy for many years because they were not getting “it”. My frustration and anger continued until I realized, like the hardware store, they just did not have nor how to give to me what I wanted and needed. Their inability to give to me was because they could not identify with what it was like living with a brain injury. What it was like living with an invisible disability. With time what became obvious was that people who did not get “it” were not evil. Nor was it that they did not love me. They just didn’t get “it”. And with my acceptance, I was slowly able to let go of trying to have them get “it”. But thank God that I met other individuals who get “it”.
Thank God that I met other individuals, who like me were living with brain injuries and invisible disabilities. These individuals offered peer support from their experience, strength and hope. They offered empathy and understanding and they encouraged me. I am grateful for the people who I have met who get “it”.
On February 6, 2007 I created Second Chance to Live to offer peer support to individuals, like myself; are living and navigating life living with the impact of a brain injury. In this category, as well as through out Second Chance to Live; I share bread with people, who like myself who get “it”. All the information that I share and the articles that I write is from my experience, strength and hope. My experience, strength and hope of living with and navigating through life with a brain injury and an invisible disability. August 2016 will mark my 49th year living that I have been living with the impact of a brain injury and an invisible disability. As you read through the articles in each of these categories may you be encouraged to live your life — with the impact of a brain injury and an invisible disability — to the fullest.
- Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury
- Global Brain Injury Peer Support Network — Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury
- Article Resources for Living after a Brain Injury
- Second Chance to Live and the North American Brain Injury Society 2015 Conference on Brain Injury
- Second Chance to Live 12 eBooks for Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery
- Living with a Brain Injury e-Book — Putting the Pieces in Place — 60 Video Presentations
- How to Create and Maintain a Budget while Living on a Fixed Income Video Presentation
- How to Create and Maintain a Budget while Living on a Fixed Income
- To Empower Nurses is to Empower Their Patients – Brain Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation Video Presentation
- Use Second Chance to Live as a Resource of Hope
- Computer Management, Restore Points and Restoring to Factory Settings
- Second Chance to Live – Interviewed by Dr. Michael Shaughnessy Education Views – Education News
- Living with Adversity and The Power of Identification Part 2
- Living with Adversity and The Power of Identification Part 1
- How to Impact Your World Video Presentation
- Second Chance to Live and Peer Support Video Presentation
- Second Chance to Live and Peer Support
- National and International Organizations Using Second Chance to Live as a Resource
- Second Chance to Live — How to access my Site Map to my You Tube Video Presentations — Video Presentation
- Second Chance to Live Video Presentations Empowering the Individual
- Second Chance to Live and Video Presentations on You Tube
- Learning to be a Servant — A Lesson that I Learned
- Second Chance to Live and the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
- Living with a brain injury — Introducing the Second Chance to Live Group
- Second Chance to Live and the U.S Army Warrior Transition Command
- Introducing My Site Map for My YouTube Video Presentations
- Traumatic Brain Injury – Introducing Second Chance to Live on YouTube
- Living with a Brain Injury and Reaching Out for Help
- Traumatic Brain Injury and The Power to Influence
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Housing Assistance
- Traumatic Brain Injury and an Insightful Resource
- Traumatic Brain Injury – Serving the Men and Women of the Armed Services – On this Memorial Day 2011
- An Introduction and a Bit of Technology that I Use to Save Money
- Traumatic Brain Injury – How to be a Brain Injury Advocate – In Conclusion Part 5
- Traumatic Brain Injury – How to be a Brain Injury Advocate – For Families and Friends Part 4
- Traumatic Brain Injury – How to be a Brain Injury Advocate – For Survivors Part 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury – How to be a Brain Injury Advocate Part 2
- Traumatic Brain Injury – How to be a Brain Injury Advocate Part 1
- Traumatic Brain Injury Support for Survivors, their Families and Friends Part 2
- Traumatic Brain Injury Support for Survivors, their Families and Friends Part 1
- Traumatic Brain Injury — For the Family and Friends of Rep.Gabrielle Giffords
- Second Chance to Live and Service
- Living with a brain Injury, Second Chance to Live, Facebook and LinkedIn
- How to Impact your World
- Living with a brain injury and Asking for Help Part 2
- Living with a brain injury and Asking for Help Part 1
- Second Chance to Live and the Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses’ Association
- Second Chance to Live and CDS at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 8
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 7
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 6
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 5
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 4
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Creating Community Part 2
- Traumatic Brain Injury — You are not alone Part 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury — You are not alone Part 2
- Traumatic Brain Injury — You are not alone Part 1
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Making a Difference
- Translate Second Chance to Live into your Language
- Second Chance to Live and the Brain Injury Association of Canada
- Traumatic Brain Injury — The Power to Change a Life Part 3 of 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury — The Power to Change a Life Part 2 of 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury — The Power to Change a Life Part 1 of 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Support — Part 3 of 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Support — Part 2 of 3
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Support — Part 1 of 3
- Fitness and Inclusion Part 1 of 2
- Invitations to Subscribe to Second Chance to Live
- Craig J. Phillips of Second Chance to Live interviewed by Laura Benjamin
- Second Chance to Live — What I’m About
- Second Chance to Live — The Power of Supportive Networks
- Traumatic Brain Injury and the Men and Women of the Armed Service — Part 2
- Traumatic Brain Injury and the Men and Women of the Armed Service — Part 1
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Resources
- A Tribute to the brave Men and Women of the Armed Services – Thank You.
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- Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor Support Group/ Meetings Copyright Guidelines
- Traumatic Brain Injury Support Groups / Meetings
- Traumatic Brain Injury – Personal Awareness
- Traumatic Brain Injury — A Call To Honor
- A week in the…Working with Cable Customer Support
- Your Voice Matters
- Living with a traumatic brain injury — Empowering Our Veterans