AM I ALL THAT DIFFERENT?

Because each brain is different and each person reacts differently to their injury

there are lots of different ways people can be affected.

There are four main categories where people notice differences.

Do you experience any of these from the brain injury?

Do you experience other changes that aren’t here?

PHYSICAL	SENSORY	PERSONALITY	COGNITIVE
Pressure in my head	Loss vision	Changes in likes and dislikes regarding smell and taste	Understanding
Paralysis	Double vision	Shifts in likes and dislikes	Focus and attention
Trouble walking	Blurry vision	Difficulties with emotional control	Slower processing
Trouble speaking	Loss of hearing	Changes and control of behavior	Memory
Tired	Ringing in the ears	Mood changes	Decision making
Seizures	Loss or change in sensitivity of touch	Laughing or crying without apparent cause	Confusion
Light headed	Loss or change of smell	Increased anxiety	Concentration
Headaches	Loss or change of taste	Insensitive to others	Inability to link cause and effect
Speed		Lack of motivation	Inability to follow through
Tired eyes		Lack of initiation	Can’t handle stress like I used to
Change in sleep patterns		Lack of patience	Unable to hold a thought
Fast pulse		Shame or guilt	Diminished insight
Increased blood pressure		Withdrawn/social isolation	Problem solving
Loss of strength		Lying or making things up	Returning to the same thought
Unable to keep still		Decreased ability to deal with stress	Tracking thoughts or conversations
Waking up in the night		Loss of sense of self	Distraction
Appetite disturbances		Easily startled
Can’t perform physical tasks like I did before the accident		Paranoia
Appetite disturbances		Panic

Add anything that you experience that is not already on the list.

You might just help someone else out.

Sharing information helps to bring us closer together.