Family Caregiver Guide: Understanding the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury and What You Can Do to Help (Module 2)

Module 2 Summary

This module is about the ways that a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may change a person’s body, thinking, acting, and feelings. Some of the information you will read may be true for your service member/veteran. But some of it will not. Each person is unique and each person’s effects from TBI will also be unique.

Many people with TBI have similar patterns of recovery. But everyone recovers at a different pace. There is no way to “hurry up” the recovery from TBI.

There are, however, many things you and the health care providers can do to create the best possible recovery.

Remember, you are not alone. There are thousands of other military families who are struggling to cope with many of the same changes from TBI that you and your service member/veteran are experiencing.

Doctors at the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) are learning more every day about how to effectively treat the effects of TBI. Your service member/veteran will benefit from new medical knowledge based on other service members’ experiences. His or her experience will add to doctors’ knowledge about how to treat TBI.

Most effects of TBI fade over time. Keep hope in your heart as you move forward into the future.

Read some of the chapters in this module:

• Chapter 2: Physical Effects
• Chapter 3 : Cognitive Effects
• Chapter 4: Communication Effects
• Chapter 5: Behavioral and Emotional Effects
• Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions