It’s a double edge sword. Once I re-learned to walk, talk, eat etc. (which I’m so thankful for!) + a couple of years of practice, my physical injuries became nearly invisible.
This causes uneducated people, to label me as lazy (which couldn’t be farther from the truth). 1 of these uneducated individuals, expect me to be working, as my accident took place 4 years ago.
My therapist, (who, I’ve rightly referred to in the past, as my TBI guru. ((she has extensive professional knowledge of TBI, fostered by experience advising people managing recovery from/adaptation inspired by, a TBI.))) absolutely discounts the accusations of any uneducated individuals.
*Adaptation (as previous referenced) = Often you can’t return to the mental pathways that you once traveled, in order to retrieve information, because the pathways have been irreparably damaged. You, therefore, must mentally forge new pathways.*
My feeling (supported 100% by my therapist) is that the expectation that I would now be working professionally, is rediculous, especially given the severity of my injury.
No one with critical TBI recovery experience, would even consider, let alone expect, my return to work immediately (believe it or not – 4 years is immediately – this is a loooong road!!) or ever, truly, for the vast majority f survivors of my TBI’s severity. The fact, that I’m self-propelled, even, to consistently write in this blog, is shocking given my critical TBI.