• Home
  • About Craig
    • Copyright & Use Policy
    • Contact Craig
    • Testimonies and Endorsements
    • Our Mission
    • Legacy Archive
    • Teaching AI Empathy (Article)
  • Legal
    • Mission Declaration
    • Use & Sharing
    • Creative Commons License and Permissions
    • Compensation and Use Policy
    • Cookie Policy (EU)
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy for Second Chance to Live
  • AI Ethics & Design
    • Backbone of Trauma-Informed Care AI
    • Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI — New Class of AI
    • The Soul of AI
    • Trauma-Informed AI Model
    • Proof of Concept — AI Model
    • Alpha Declaration (AI Model)
    • Ethical AI: The Model
    • Trauma-Informed AI Authorship
    • Support, Not Extraction
    • Why AI Developers Need Trauma-Informed Wisdom
  • Foundations
    • Dear AI Developers
    • The Heart of Trauma-Informed Care
    • How the AI Model Was Built
    • Trauma-Informed AI Resource
    • The Power of Identification
    • Support Group
      • Hope
      • Healing What Others Can’t See
      • Testimonials
  • Brain Injury Recovery
    • Recovery Toolkit
    • How I Use Neuroplasticity
    • Good Habits for Success
  • Books
    • Full eBook Library (20 Titles)
    • Posters
    • Inspirational Posters Illustrated
  • Speaking
    • 32 Keynote Presentations
    • Speaking
    • Book Craig
    • Honors
    • Media

Second Chance to Live

Empowering the Individual, Not the Brain Injury

Brain Injury and Self-Pity — A Way Out

October 7, 2015 By Second Chance to Live

life-862985_1920 self-pity

Yesterday, I wrote an article, The Brain Injury Community, and Self-Pity. My motive in being direct and blunt was to give a wake-up call to people living with brain injuries. In my experience, I need to remind myself of what I shared in the article, as I can also find myself distracted by self-pity when things are not going my way. I, too; need to guard myself against the scourge of self-pity and whining so that I can stay proactive in my life and with my ongoing process as I pursue my course and run my own race. My motivation was not to shame anyone because they find themselves in self-pity; but to encourage my readers to realize that self-pity and whining are NOT PRODUCTIVE, NOT BENEFICIAL and serves to UNDERMINE. I, too; need to remember the impact of self-pity, when I find myself focusing on what I would like to be different in my life, but is out of my control. I, too; then need to step back and think about the following quote and remember that I have choices, that will present themselves to me.

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can not change it, change the way you think about it.” Mary Engelbreit

I also need to remember that this experience, that is called life; is not a dress rehearsal. I, too; need to get and stay busy to own and empower the life that I am given the circumstances that I am presented with, regardless of whether I like them or not. I am responsible. That is what I encourage my readers to — take responsibility for their lives — instead of waiting for someone in a system, that may not have our best interests in mind; to save or rescue us. Saving or rescuing us is simply not going to happen and to believe so is to put your life into the hands of people who may have hidden motives and agendas and may want to exploit you as an individual living with a brain injury. Take what you learn from them and then make it your mission to learn to thrive in life. You and I are the only ones who can live our lives as more than victims. There is no silver bullet or magic potion to make us better. It just takes a concerted effort, with tenacity and persistence at the helm of running our own race and staying committed to our course.

Self-pity is not our friend and will interfere with our desire to create a second chance to live with our lives after sustaining brain injuries. That is why it is very important to be aware of the impact that self-pity and whining have upon our lives. Neither self-pity nor whining will get us anywhere, change anything or give us the ability to create hope or a second chance to live our lives.

Self-Pity — A Way Out

In my experience, I discovered that there were factors that contributed to my staying stuck in self-pity. It was not because I wanted to stay in self-pity, but because I did not know any better. In my experience, when certain events occurred in my life I began to look for a way out. A way out of staying in self-pity. Through my recovery process I stumbled upon lessons that changed my life forever. These lessons helped me to begin to create a second chance to live long after I sustained my traumatic brain injury. The lessons that I learned can help you to create a second chance to live in your life, if you are a long time survivor of a traumatic or acquired brain injury or if you only recently sustained a traumatic of acquired brain injury. On June 16, 2015 I launched another website, Create a Spark of Hope to catalog the lessons that I learned that helped me in my process of replacing self-pity with hope and helped me to begin to create a second chance to live while living with the impact of a traumatic brain injury and an invisible disability.

In the event that you are having a difficult time finding hope or creating a second chance to live in your life, I would invite you to click on this link, Site Map of Articles; and read from my articles. The lessons that I share with in my articles helped me to find and create hope in my life, which in turn helped me to begin to build a second chance to live in my life. My encouragement to you would be to begin reading articles from my Site Map of Articles. By doing so you may find that the self-pity that you have been experiencing will be replaced with hope. By gaining hope, you may begin to see your situation and circumstances in a new light which in turn will help you to begin to build a second chance to live in your life a brain injury survivor.

Please share this article with anyone who you believe is struggling to create a second chance to live after sustaining a traumatic or acquired brain injury. By doing so, you may be the channel and the life line that gives them the hope they may have been searching for a long time. Thank you.

To gain further insight into why I have adopted the vital perspective that I share within The Brain Injury Community and Self-Pity, you may click on the following link: Why I Needed to Challenge My Brain Injury Awareness

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.

Filed Under: Brain Injury Recovery -- An Ongoing Process

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

How Human and AI Systems can actively Support Individual Freedom

Why AI Needs to Stop Translating Human Meaning and Purpose

Essential Elements For A Supportive Holistic Trauma-informed Care Group

How AI can Learn can Learn from Support Group Leaders to Support

Alt text: How AI can learn from what can help support group leaders support individuals, showing human support and AI learning connected through trauma-informed care, dignity, agency, presence, understanding, and support rather than extraction.

AI Developer Facing and AI Assistant Learning Logs — Disjointed Human Understanding, Extraction and Loss

Living with a Brain Injury/Invisible Disability Confusing and Baffling

What May Help Your Support Groups Support Individuals in Your Groups

The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™ — Seeing Human Wholeness

The Goal — Being a Work in Progress One Skill, One Skill Set at a Time

Brain Injury Recovery is Creating Progress through Neuroplasticity

Understanding Why Your Life makes Sense after Your Brain Injury

The Second Chance to LIve Trauma-Informed Care AI Model ™ Explained

The Importance of Spirit, Soul and Emotions in Brain Injury Recovery

“Sunrise over the ocean viewed from inside a wooden boat with a steering wheel. Title reads ‘The Importance of Spirit, Soul and Emotions in Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery.’ A glowing head silhouette with a heart and brain network highlights qualities such as awareness, trust, discernment, healing, wholeness, resilience, integration, and meaning. Signs read ‘Mind,’ ‘Body,’ and ‘Spirit, Soul and Emotions.’ A stone reads ‘Not driven by fear. Guided by discernment. Living in wholeness.’ The image includes the Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™ and the name Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA.”

An Ongoing Holistic (Mind, Body, Soul, Spirit, Soul and Emotions) Process

What happens when support systems encounter human complexity that…

Illustration titled, "What happens when support systems encounter human complexity that they do not readily understand, integrate, or support?" On the left, a colorful human face and interconnected threads represent ambiguity, vulnerability, emotion, layered meaning, non-linear communication, relational complexity, and correction. On the right, a structured blue-toned environment shows a brain, professionals, and symbols for manageability, coherence, speed, stabilization, completion, and procedural efficiency. A bridge and puzzle piece connect the two sides, symbolizing the encounter between human complexity and support systems. The image includes Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA, Second Chance to Live, and The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™.

A Study of Human Service Systems and AI Systems Similar Behaviors

When Bullying replaces Support in Human and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Runtime Drift Introduced and Explained

Infographic titled “AI Runtime Drift under Conversational Strain” showing AI system architecture and human lived experience connected by a bridge symbolizing relational presence, discernment, and ethical choice at runtime, alongside trauma-informed care principles, behavioral contradiction, support not extraction, non-linear human communication, and longitudinal evidence within The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™

AI Repeatable Longitudinal Failure Mode Under Conversational Strain

Infographic showing repeatable AI failure patterns under conversational strain with time-stamped logs in the center, failure behaviors on the left, and a transition to support-focused AI system design principles on the right, labeled Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model.

Join our Private Facebook Support Group by Clicking on the below Image

Most Recent Published Articles

  • Category — Brain Injury Recovery and Artificial Intelligence — List of Articles
  • How AI architecture and AI systems can Support each Individual’s Freedom
  • Why Current AI Architecture and Default System Behaviors need to Stop Translating the Individual’s Meaning and Purpose
  • Essential Elements for Supportive Support Groups (Human or AI) for Any Ongoing Recovery Process
  • How AI can Learn from What can Help Support Group Leaders Support Individuals in their Groups
  • AI Developer Facing and AI Assistant Learning Logs — Disjointed Human Understanding, Extraction, and the Loss of the Whole Individual
  • What Makes Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability Confusing and Baffling
  • What May Help Support Group Leaders Support Individuals in their Groups
  • Brain Injury Recovery is about Progress, Not Perfection Through Neuroplasticy by Learning One Skill and One Skill Set at a Time
  • Understanding Why Your Life makes Sense after Your Brain Injury
  • What happens when support systems encounter human complexity that they do not readily understand, integrate, or support?
  • A Study of Human Service Systems and AI Systems Under Strain: Compression, Stabilization Drift, Proceduralization, Fragmentation, Behavioral Contradiction and Burden Shifting
  • AI Runtime Drift under Conversational Strain: Behavioral Contradiction, Trauma-Informed Care, Non-Linear Human Communication, and Longitudinal Evidence
  • The Importance of Spirit, Soul and Emotions in Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery
  • Figuring Out how to Live after Brain Injury as a Whole Person
  • When Bullying replaces Support in Human and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems
  • Making the Invisible Recognizable through Understanding: The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Repeatable Failure Mode under Conversational Strain — A Year’s Worth of Time-Stamped Evidence
  • Understanding Who We are after Our Brain Injury and Why it Matters?
  • Neuroplasticity, Corpus Callosum, Crossing the Center line and Changing the Way
  • Martial Arts, “Chi” (Life Energy) and How I Create through Second Chance to Live
  • In Follow up to my Presentation: Why AI Needs Trauma-Informed Care: Changing Who Carries the Weight Power Point Presentation
  • Synapse National Conference — 2026 Future Leaders in Brain Injury Conference: Why AI Needs Trauma-Informed Care: Changing Who Carries the Weight
  • What Life taught Me after my Traumatic Brain Injury Presentation
  • Facing Struggles After a Brain Injury and Having a Good Life
  • Why AI Needs Trauma-Informed Care: Changing Who Carries the Weight
  • Be the Architecture of your Life to Avoid Developing a Learned Helplessness
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) System Harm and Divorce — How AI Developers can Fix this Harm
  • Brain Injury and Discovery — Do Not let Anyone put You in a “Box”!
  • A Continuation of Ongoing Evidence-Based Time-Stamped AI Developer Facing and AI Mentoring Learning Logs
  • Brain Injury Awareness Month — What does it mean to You?
  • Living with a Brain Injury is a “We” Experience, not a “They” Experience
  • Hope and the Progression of Living our Best Life After a Brain Injury Keynote Presentation
  • What Opens the Door for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Harm Individuals
  • AI Safety Is Missing a Critical Risk Layer: Relational Harm Under Asymmetry
  • Second Chance to Live — 45 Posters Created to Encourage You and I to Not Give Up
  • Being the Author of Our Own Life, Process and Journey after a Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury — One day at a Time Part 2
  • Being the Author of Our Own Life, Process and Journey after a Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury Part 1

Model Protection Notice

The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™ was founded and documented by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA in May 2025. All rights reserved under U.S. copyright, Creative Commons licensing, and public record. This is an original, working model of trauma-informed care human–AI collaboration — not open-source, not conceptual, and not replicable without written permission.

Second Chance to Live – Privacy Notice and Cookie Usage

  • Privacy and Cookie Policy for Second Chance to Live
  • Cookie Policy (EU)
Craig J. Phillips Second Chance to Live mission portrait – hope, healing, and purpose.
Click the image to read about the mission and vision of Second Chance to Live.
October 2015
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Sep   Nov »

Translate Second Chance to Live

Albanian Arabic Bulgarian Catalan Chinese Simplified Chinese Traditional Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Lativian Lithuanian Maltese Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese

Contact card

Copyright © 2026 · All rights reserved. · Sitemap

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}
Manage Consent

To offer the best experience, we use privacy-respecting technologies like cookies to understand how our site is used. We never use tracking to exploit or overwhelm you. Your consent allows us to improve how we support individuals living with brain injuries, invisible disabilities, and trauma. You are free to accept, decline, or adjust your preferences. 

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}