Until I was able to move beyond my brain injury awareness, I had no idea how to live or thrive. I had no idea how to thrive because of my brain injury awareness. Did not know how to thrive because I saw brain injury awareness as a “stop sign”, not as a “yield sign”. Yesterday, I published my article: Living and Thriving Beyond Brain Injury Awareness to Create a Good Life for … [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.
Living and Thriving Beyond Brain Injury Awareness to Create a Good Life for Ourselves
I have also created a zoom presentation of this article to share with your group, organization or as an in service to your clinical staff: Living and Thriving Beyond Brain Injury Awareness to Create a Good Life for Ourselves Zoom Presentation Below are several quotes that encourage me to live and thrive beyond my brain injury awareness. Below these quotes is the … [Read more...]
Finding Freedom from Feeling Alone, Isolated, Alienated, Intimidated and Diminished Living with a Brain injury and an Invisible Disability
I then created a zoom presentation of the article. Finding Freedom from Feeling Alone, Isolated, Alienated, Intimidated and Diminished Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability Zoom Presentation I then wrote an article to share that helped me to get comfortable. Getting Comfortable in Our “Own Skin” Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible … [Read more...]
Brain Injury and The Power of “I CAN” in an Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery Process Zoom Presentation
I recently was asked to give a presentation for a day treatment program at a rehabilitation hospital. Brain Injury and The Power of “I CAN” in an Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery Process Consequently, I created a presentation to share during this upcoming meeting in January 2023. Below is a link to the presentation. Click to view outline. Brain Injury and The Power of “I … [Read more...]
Brain Injury — Why Do I Feel So Misunderstood and Shunned? (Article, Video, Slideshow, and Zoom Presentation)
In July 2016 I wrote the article: Brain Injury -- Why do I Feel So Misunderstood and Shunned?. In follow up to this article, I created a video presentation, slideshow presentation and zoom presentation. I created the video, slideshow and zoom presentation to share the information with visual and auditory learners. As you read, watch and listen to the article and … [Read more...]