How traumatic brain injury affects daily life uncovered….
This is a tough one to answer because no two people are alike, if anybody would have been unfortunate enough to have had the very same accident as mine in exactly the place on the very same day, I can almost guarantee that the outcome would have been very different.
All I can do is try to explain how my TBI has affected and continues to affect my life.
This is also a tough one to answer, other than to say how hasn’t it affected my life…?
The one thing that you would expect me to say “that I’m disabled” doesn’t even come close to affecting my day-to-day life the most, don’t get wrong it isn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but let me assure you it isn’t worst thing about my traumatic brain injury.
I have always, long before my accident suffered from mental fatigue.
My brother Kevin was quick to remind me when I was winging to him about being so tired due to my TBI, he reminded me of several occurrences when one minute I’m their life and sole of the party, the next minute boom I’m asleep. LOL
One in particular has got to be his stag-do, we went to the Riverside Hotel a beautiful 5-star hotel in Enniscorthy Southern Ireland.
“If you are ever paying a visit to County Wexford, I can heartily recommend treating yourself to a night in the Riverside Hotel”.
We had a fabulous night drinking copious amounts of red wine before hitting the top shelf, this is the snob in me, my brother still reminds me to this day.
He’d ordered several bottles of house red and opened a tab at the bar, I won’t go into detail because that isn’t what this blog is about, other than to say that I wasn’t particularly impressed with the wine selection so I ordered a bottle of my favourite red Faustino I (often called Faustino 1) is a world-famous, traditional Gran Reserva red wine from the Rioja region of Spain. Produced by Bodegas Faustino, it is instantly recognizable by its frosted bottle, gold netting, and classic portrait label.
Probably the most expensive wine the hotel had.
If that isn’t taking brotherly love to the extreme then I don’t know what is….
Anyway, I digress, I always feel that it’s good to reminisce when sharing a story.
Mental fatigue after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is overwhelming brain exhaustion. It happens because your injured brain works much harder than usual to process information and manage daily tasks. It is not lazy behaviour, and it often does not get better just by resting in bed.
Why It Happens
I have cheated and taken this from the internet but, think of your brain like a smartphone with a cracked screen and a bad battery. It still works, but it runs out of power much faster and gets hot when you use it.
- Increased Effort: Everyday tasks (like talking, walking, or thinking) take extra attention and effort.
This I can definitely vouch for, when I give a talk, I am completely and utterly wiped out for several days afterwards. My presentations are usually 15 to 20 slides long so not only am I using an ordinate amount of brain power to remember what to say, but coupled with standing for the hour or so to actually give the talk it’s a wonder I can still function.
I pride myself on being 100% self-sufficient in all of my personal care, this often comes at a price.
Unlike the majority of you who probably take a shower to liven yourself up, when I take a shower, I often need to have a sleep afterwards so Rob, Rhys, Goose if you ever wonder why I’m taking so long in the shower this is why.
- Less Efficiency: The brain’s main power grid (the Ascending Reticular Activating System) may struggle to manage your energy and attention.
Using the shower analogy, I definitely struggle with efficiency, literally every movement I take uses far more brain power than you could ever imagine so there is little wonder I need a sleep afterwards.
Types of Fatigue
- Cognitive: Brain fog, trouble focusing, or memory loss after using your brain.
Yes definitely, I push myself probably so much than your average brain injury survivor particularly when I’m away on cycling trips so I find mental fatigue so debilitating, it plays havoc with my thought process and my mental capacity is affected dramatically.
- Physical: Headaches or heavy, aching muscles after doing light physical work.
Thankfully this isn’t something that I’ve ever really suffered with, I may get the occasional headache but they are few and far between or, when I’ve had far too much red wine. Oh, isn’t that what they call a hangover? LOL
- Emotional: Feeling irritable, unmotivated, sad, or drained
Again, this is definitely true in part, being unmotivated and sad I question. The only times that I’ve cried have been with good reason, they were tears of elation like when I arrived at Lands-end after cycling the JOGLE, and when I cycled from Strasbourg in France to the scene of my accident in Baden-Baden, Germany.
The most bizarre thing is, as tired as I often, actually who am I trying to kid, as tired as I permanently feel put me on my trike and I can go all day, “work that out if you can”.
Proven Ways to Manage Energy
- Pace Yourself: Do not wait until you are completely exhausted to stop. Take frequent, short breaks before you feel tired.
- Limit Naps: Rest often, but keep naps short (around 15 to 30 minutes) so you can sleep well at night.
- Do One Thing: Turn off the TV while you are talking to someone. Break big tasks into tiny, simple steps.
- Avoid Noisy Places: Loud, busy places like stores cause sensory overload. Use earplugs or take quiet walks to recharge.
This is all good advice, but in the real world it’s not always possible.
So you see for me personally I can cope with being disabled, but mental fatigue will probably be the death of me.
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