You may certainly feel as though you dodged the proverbial bullet if you (or a loved one) are able to emerge from having suffered a traumatic brain injury in Ocean County without having experienced any serious physical impairments. Yet it is important to remember that you (or your loved one) may not be out of the woods just yet. Many of those who have come to us here at Silvi, Fedele & Honschke Attorney’s at Law, LLC after having sustained TBIs tell us that the most difficult aspect of dealing with said injuries are the cognitive impairments that often result from them.
If you (or your loved one) are struggling to resume the same activities that you were engaged in prior to suffering your TBI, then you may be experiencing the same difficulties. According to the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, cognition is understanding, thinking and acting upon the information associated with the tasks of daily living. Many TBI victims often find managing these tasks difficult either temporarily or indefinitely. Some common problems that those suffering from cognitive impairments include:
- Difficulty focusing on and completing tasks
- Being unable to grasp the information others are trying to share with them
- Troubles communicating clearly (or finding the right words for the right situation)
- Difficulty retaining information
- Trouble maintaining self-discipline and control
- Struggling with making sound decisions
Each of these problems can have an impact on your ability to perform the functions of your job and/or maintain successful social relationships. The problem is that the damage caused by a TBI is irreversible. Thus, rather than recovering from cognitive impairments, you (or your loved one) might be left with little choice but to learn to deal with them.
More information on the potential consequences of a TBI can be found throughout our site.