You have been told you have brain damage for whatever cause. All brain injuries are unique, and no one brain injury causes the same problem.


Steps

1. Listen to what your doctor tells you. It may be helpful to invite a friend or family member to accompany you to your appointments. Even if you do not have a memory problem, they can provide useful moral support.
2. Do not get frustrated; it takes time to recover. You are not going to just snap back to how you were. Some things will fix themselves with time. Just be patient.
3. Always keep in touch with your doctor for any changes. Always be honest because the doctor cannot make a complete evaluation if he or she does not know the complete history of your injury. Better safe than sorry!
4. As you go through life, remember you are not alone. Other people do know what you are going through, so don't close yourself off, and keep your mind open at all times. Life is not over, it is a new beginning, so take advantage of it.

Tips

• Don't panic if you get lost. Stop (if driving, pull to the side of the road when it is safe to do so), look around and identify places, things, streets, and think about where you started, and you should be able to figure out where you were going.
• Always tell someone where and when you are going somewhere. Carry a cell phone with friends' and family's numbers stored in case of emergency.

Warnings

• Never stop taking your medications unless doctor-ordered.
• At times it may be difficult to ascertain if what is happening is caused by the brain damage or is just the normal course of life, so be open with people about what is going on in your life.