Understanding ourselves and our minds as people with a TBI is important. Here are four things I try to keep in mind.
First, we live 24/7 with our Unwelcome Companion (our TBI), which can torment us and inhibit our ability to live a balanced life.
Second, we can’t use our Unwelcome Companion as an excuse for our behavior 100% of the time.
Third, our Unwelcome Companion doesn’t define who we are and what we are capable of, and we shouldn’t let other people use it against us. We live in a different reality than the general public or the medical field.
Fourth, We must be open to our misunderstandings from others, even when it’s ugly!
Fifth, we must keep a close mental watch on our “mood swings” – for me, it’s a daily battle between life and death where I must focus on the moment.
I have decided that no matter how bad I am feeling only God has the right to end my life and I stand firm in that every day. With well over 10 years of “working” things out, I know that I may be the source of a bad day or mood swing. We must be patient with ourselves and let things or time sort it out for us—no one else can sort out our brain’s activities. No one!
Thomas Quinlan
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