Research Question #4
What emotions and feelings about having gone through a TBI did survivors display at the time of injury and do they continue to display now?
Ninety percent (27 of 30) individuals reported on how they emotionally felt right after their TBI occurred. (One reason for nonreport was that the TBI occurred too early in life for the participant to recall concomitant feelings about the event.) Eleven possible emotional reactions noted in the literature and another choice were offered as selections. Survivors were able to select from multiple answers. Five reactions were reported by more than fifty percent of the participants. See Table 8.
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Table 8.
Survivors’ Emotional Reactions to TBI
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Feeling |
Percentage |
|---|---|
| Changed | 81% |
| Saddened | 78% |
| Confused | 74% |
| Angry | 70% |
| Scared | 63% |
| Terrified | 44% |
| Accepting | 37% |
| Ashamed | 37% |
| Guilty | 22% |
| Euphoric | 14% |
| No feeling | 11% |
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Other feelings volunteered by individual participants were denial, humiliation, curiosity, confusion, and depression. One felt sorry for himself, another reported “feeling miserable.” One factor not mentioned in the questionnaire, but on the minds of several survivors, was frustration. Four individuals reported feeling frustrated under other.
In order to explore survivors’ current sense of their brain injury, eight phrases (including other) were given as potential selections. Ninety-three percent (28 out of 30) of the individuals answered. Interestingly, two positive outcomes were the most cited selections. Seventy-five percent (21) felt that they were dealing with the TBI as best as they could and sixty-eight percent (19) had decided that they had grown from having had a TBI. On the other hand, 57% (16) stated that they hated what had happened. Fifty-seven percent (16) also admitted that they needed help in coping with their TBI. Thirty-nine percent (11) agreed they had been weakened by their brain injury, and 32% (9) could not believe it had happened.
Many individuals appeared to be coming to terms with their TBI as evidenced by other remarks such as “What appears to be the end of my life may really be the beginning”; “I’ve grown with my family and friends, and it’s OK”;” I’m helping others with it”; “It gave me a new start”; and “I’ve been strengthened by it.” On the other hand, some saw the experience in mixed terms. For example, one person, in addition to checking the “I’ve grown from it” selection, added “but I could have done without the growth.” There were also some discontented responses such as: “I’m no longer a 100% person”; “I’m dependent on others”; “I hate not being able to control what I could control”; “I hate not being able to control what I could control”; and “I hate the repercussions and expense (mental, social, physical, and monetary). I have cost my family.”