Apathy is inherent for some Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors. Specifically, those with a low Glasgow Coma Scale score, alike I. To reiterate: The Glasgow Coma Scale is the method that neurologists use to measure the severity of an individual patient’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In this article, I will delve into how apathy has displayed itself in my life, since my final hospital discharge. I too will narrate how apathy can present itself for survivors in general.
A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3 is the primary number on the scale, from which 100% of people die. Traumatic Brain Injury patient’s with a GCS of 3-5 are critical, from which 80% of people perish. My GCS score was 4.
Apathy, as is defined by Mirriam Webster as “indifference…a lack of responsiveness to something that might normally excite interest or emotion…inertness or lack of passion”.
Apathy is expected for Severe & critical TBI survivors to exist, unendingly. As a result, nearly all Severe & critical survivors never leave their houses (as has been validated by my specialty case worker). Inevitably, I’m battling apathy & forever will be. That’s what I choose. If able to choose, a survivor can either roll over, play dead and let life do what it wants, or actively refuse. I refuse. Hard work never turned me off and although this hard work was NEVER chosen…shit, what choice do I have? Live or not live…hmmm. That’s a pretty easy choice for me.
My Mom and Dad’s devotion to my early recovery (for the first 1.5 years I lived with them) fueled my initial progress immensely. I didn’t fight the recovery practices they proposed, as I must’ve known, deep down, that the work was necessary for me to reclaim life and the joy that has been initiated by life itself, (so 1 in the same) in my experience. That primary motivation turned progress has continued to fuel my present evolution too (once on a roll, you’ve got the momentum working for you, you just gotta keep going ((practicing!))).
My thought: As long as practices inspired by a wonderful foundation (like the 1 initiated by my parents) are upheld, progression will result. This knowledge/belief is what retains & furthers my motivation. Due to neurologists recent (in the past 2 decades) discovery, that survivors are capable of lifelong progression, my motivation is only substantiated & fueled.