In this presentation I speak to the "bargaining" stage in the grieving process of individuals who experience traumatic brain injury. Several days ago a member of our Building Your Life after Traumatic Brain Injury Facebook community asked a great question. A question in response to an article that I wrote, Dispelling the Notion of Dis-ability — I Just Do Things in Ways … [Read more...]
Self-Acceptance after Brain Injury
Self-acceptance may be difficult for an individual living with a brain injury. As a result individuals living with brain injuries may begin to doubt themselves. This doubt can undermine their ability to trust or believe in themselves. Societal labels and stereotypes may lead them to believe that they are their brain injuries. In this belief, individuals living with brain injuries may find themselves angry at themselves. Angry at the "world". After coming out of my own denial concerning my brain injury, I was angry. I was angry at the impact of my brain injury. I was angry at the labels, stereotypes that society placed on me. I was angry for being minimized and marginalized because of what was out of my control. I was angry at what I was powerless to change.
But, I am grateful for this anger. My anger motivated me to make changes. Changes that helped me to begin on a journey of self-acceptance.
I am grateful for the anger I experienced. The anger helped me to move through a grieving process. A grieving process that helped me to accept what could not change. I am grateful for the acceptance of what I could not change. The acceptance of what I could not change gave me the ability to change what I could. By changing what I could, I grew in self-acceptance. My self-acceptance gave me the gift to be able to get into action. Action that would prove to me that I was not my brain injury. The action that gave me the ability to create hope in my life. The hope that gave me the ability to grow in self-acceptance. The self-acceptance that helped me to realize that I was not my brain injury. To discover my unique creative capacity to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me.
The self-acceptance that helped me to define my identity as an individual living with a brain injury. To discover my unique creative capacity to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me.
Self-acceptance that gave me the ability to trust myself. The articles in this category can help the individual living with a brain injury to love, accept and approve of themselves. To love, accept and approve of themselves to create. To learn how to trust themselves. To discover their unique capacity as an individual living with a brain injury. To discover that they are not their brain injuries. To discover their identify as an individual living with a brain injury. To discover their own unique creative capacity to use their gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for them. To find the freedom to be themselves. To discover that they are not limited because of their limitations. To discover that they no longer have to allow societal stereotypes or stigmatization to get in the way.
Brain Injury, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, Freedom
In Living with the impact of a brain injury and an invisible disability I discovered something very important. I needed to face my denial, anger, need to bargain and my unknown depression to find an unknown freedom. In early June 2008 I wrote an article series. In June 2013 I created a video presentation of this series to share what helped me find this freedom. I … [Read more...]
Traumatic Brain Injury and Bargaining in the Five Stages of Grieving
In this article I speak to the "bargaining" stage in the grieving process of individuals who experience traumatic brain injury. To watch and listen to a video presentation of this article, click on this link: Traumatic Brain Injury and Bargaining in the Five Stages of Grieving Video Presentation Article Several days ago a member of our Building Your Life after … [Read more...]
Increasing the Brain and Bodies Ability to Function after Stroke/Brain Injury
Following a stroke or brain injury the bodies ability to function on both sides can be damaged. This can result in a minimal or decreased ability to engage in activities of daily living. As a result the individual may find themselves frustrated and wanting to give up and isolate. In my experience, I have found a solution for these feelings of frustration and wanting to … [Read more...]
Grieving the Guilt and Shame of a Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke
To watch and listen to a video presentation of this article, click on this link: Grieving the Guilt and Shame of a Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke Video Presentation For many years after my brain injury I had no idea that I carried a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. Guilt and shame because of the traumatic brain injury that I experienced when I was 10 years old in … [Read more...]