Some of the after effects of a TBI can be shocking and near permanent, but can be adapted and learned to overcome.

Two after effects that are the hardest for those closest to Survivors are alexithymia and a lack of empathy.

 

Alexithymia causes difficulties in identifying, describing, and processing one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.  This also makes it hard to distinguish bodily sensations (touch, heat, cold, soft, ruff) from emotional feelings (joy, shock, fright, thrill).

 

This can let patience to seem insensitive and non-empathetic, selfish and self-centered.  When in fact they can experience emotions for other people, they just do not know how to react, or how to express them.  Some not even as simple as facial expressions or to cry.

 

Until Survivors understand their own general emotions and something as strong as ‘empathy’, it can make TBI Survivors hesitant to go out in public or large gatherings without feeling vulnerable.

 

Even if empathy does not occur naturally, it may still be possible to relearn empathy, as it can be a skill, and like all skills, it can be improved through deliberate practice.

 

One can help train the brain to notice more things, like what to be grateful for, other’s happiness, sadness and loss.  The repetitive practice of searching for others expressing of emotions can help the brain to learn to understand and react to them.

 

It is possible that a TBI Survivor’s empathy skills may never return.  However, that does not mean they can never be compassionate again.

 

Most psychologists believe there are three different types of empathy:

        •  Cognitive empathy:            The ability to understand the positions and feelings of others.

        •  Emotional empathy:           The ability to share and experience the emotions of others.

        •  Compassionate empathy:  The ability to respond to others and help them when they are in need.

 

While cognitive and emotional empathy can make it much easier to express compassionate empathy, it is possible to be compassionate without them. 

 

A Survivor may not be able to look inside themselves to ‘feel’ how the other person may ‘feel’, but with time they can learn to understand people’s emotions from a ‘logical’ sense.  Compassionate empathy involves actions and behavior, something most TBI survivors can grasp more easily, and there fore possibly react more appropriately.

 

Depending on how severe their cognitive deficits are, with therapy and practice, TBI survivors can learn to be more aware of their deficits, and can learn how to respond more appropriately in life again.  This however may take time, and skilled therapy with honest openness for the Survivor.

 

Besides ‘empathy’, Survivors may suffer other emotions that they have a hard time comprehending and sharing, such as social anxiety, irritability, anger, depression, feelings of being overwhelmed or emotional lability and teary-ness.  It’s important to note that even though the patient may display these behaviors, they are not fully responsible for them, as they are still learning to ‘understand’ them in themselves.

 

Both patients and those around them, shouldn’t take this learning time personally.  Also, all should be aware there is potential for a change in the patient as they becomes ‘aware’ of who they are, and their own change. 

 

Make no mistake: these symptoms can make it seem like they are a different person now, most of the time their personality is intact, it’s just buried under the weight of emotional symptoms and healing that are incredibly hard to comprehend and handle.

 

All of this healing, adaption and change can be handled much better and more positively the right emotional support and mental therapy/counseling.