Brain Injury Awareness Month: How To Support Survivors
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can sometimes cause significant long-term cognitive challenges, which can affect a person personally and professionally. Brain Injury Awareness Month can serve as a time to recognize people who have experienced a brain injury and celebrate their recovery. Below, read about Brain Injury Awareness Month, strategies to raise awareness of brain injuries, and ways to support survivors of brain injuries.
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Brain Injury Awareness Month was founded by the National Head Injury Foundation (now called the Brain Injury Association of America) in 1980. In 2024, the Brain Injury Association of America celebrated Brain Injury Awareness Month with the My Brain Injury Journey campaign, which was designed to raise awareness about lesser-known aspects of brain injury to the general public. In 2025, Brain Injury Awareness Month can serve to spread awareness about a condition that’s rarely recognized.
What are the different types of brain injury?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 214,000 hospitalizations for traumatic brain injuries in the United States in 2020. Brain injuries can occur for numerous reasons, and some people don’t always realize they’ve experienced a brain injury the moment it happens. Some people experience brain injuries that go undiagnosed for extensive periods. In some cases, brain injury can happen during birth, which some people refer to as birth trauma. Other people experience acquired brain injuries, which are when brain injuries occur after birth.
Brain injuries can be categorized as closed brain injuries and penetrating brain injuries. Closed brain injuries refer to those that occur without the skull being broken. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries can cause this type of TBI, as they tend to involve shaking of the brain or a forward or backward motion. Penetrative brain injuries refer to those in which a person’s skull breaks at some point. One example of a penetrative brain injury is when a bullet pierces a person’s skull. Some people may also use the term non-traumatic brain injury, which refers to an injury produced by internal causes. These injuries may include a stroke, a tumor, an aneurysm, toxins, or a lack of oxygen.
Primary vs. secondary brain injury
Brain injuries might also be categorized as primary and secondary injuries. With primary injuries, the damage tends to happen immediately upon impact, such as after the external force of a car accident. With secondary injuries, the damage tends to occur later on after the initial impact. These types of injuries tend to cause changes to cells, tissue, brain chemicals, and blood vessels. Some people may not experience the effects until hours or days after the incident. Regardless of the cause of brain injury, individuals can connect with a local or online brain injury community for mutual support.
How to prevent brain injuries
While some brain injuries may not always be preventable, there may be ways to reduce the risk of serious injury. One potential way to reduce the risk of brain injuries from car accidents is to encourage seat belt use. Using a seat belt may prevent a profound impact on a person’s head, which can save a person’s life.
Another possible way to reduce risk is to encourage a healthy lifestyle to prevent injury from internal factors. For example, eating nutritious foods and exercising may help reduce the risk of stroke. Also, smoking may lead to a higher risk of stroke, so encouraging people to quit may reduce risk. Brain injury can happen to anyone—not just older adults. Brain Injury Awareness Month can serve as a time to promote prevention strategies among people of all ages.
Therapy as a part of health care for those affected by a brain injury
Aside from common types of occupational, speech, and physical therapy for traumatic brain injuries, many survivors receive psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy. Talk therapy may help with challenging emotions that often arise after a brain injury. In some cases, a brain injury may lead to cognitive challenges, such as speech or memory problems, which may lead to frustration at home or at work if a person has returned to work post-recovery. A therapist who has experience helping people after a brain injury may be able to help individuals navigate these experiences without becoming overwhelmed.
Online therapy in addition to health care after a brain injury
For some people, attending traditional in-office therapy may be difficult following a brain injury. Some people may not be able to drive temporarily following an injury. Others may be more comfortable at home. In these cases, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be more feasible than in-person therapy.
With online therapy, survivors of a brain injury can speak to a therapist from home via phone, videoconferencing, or live chat. Online therapy also tends to offer a larger pool of therapists than what’s available in a person’s local community, which may make it easier to find a therapist who has experience working with brain injury survivors.
Over the last decade, several studies have shown online therapy to be effective. One study concluded that online therapy can be effective for anxiety and depression, which may be common in some people recovering from a brain injury, whether it’s a traumatic brain injury or an injury caused by internal factors. Therapy may be an integral part of treatment, leading to a full recovery.
Takeaway
Brain Injury Awareness Month can serve as an opportunity to start open conversations about some of the challenges often experienced by brain injury survivors. Even those who haven’t had a serious injury can experience cognitive and emotional challenges that can affect them personally and professionally. If you’ve experienced a brain injury, know that help is available. Consider reaching out for support from a therapist online or in your area.
Frequently asked questions
Below are some common questions related to Brain Injury Awareness Month.
What is the color for Brain Injury Awareness Month?
According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), blue is the color originally used for Brain Injury Awareness Month. However, some organizations recognize green for brain injury awareness.
What is brain damage day?
World Head Injury Awareness Day is celebrated on March 20th. This event raises awareness of the dangers of accidents and ways to reduce head injuries by adequately using safety gear, such as seat belts.
What is the most common brain injury in this country?
Falls are typically one of the most common causes of brain injury. A fall injury can occur in any situation but is often most common when someone falls in the shower or on the stairs.
When is Brain Injury Awareness Day 2025?
In 2025, the National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day will take place from March 3rd through 5th. The event will take place in Washington, DC.
What activities are good for brain injury?
The beneficial activities following a brain injury may depend on the type of injury and the cognitive challenges a person faces. Some people with a brain injury-related disability may benefit from puzzles or board games that engage the mind. Other people may benefit from art therapy or other activities that allow for creative expression. Brain injury survivors may also benefit from spending time in nature and connecting with friends and family members as they recover.
Is a brain injury a disability?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be considered a disability for some patients, depending on how symptoms affect them and what areas of daily functioning are impacted. For example, concussions generally aren’t considered a disability, though they are a type of traumatic brain injury. However, severe crashes that cause comas, severe changes in one’s ability to communicate, or strokes that cause degenerative disease can all be forms of disability for the millions of people who experience them.
What is the difference between a head injury and a brain injury?
A head injury is any injury suffered to the head, including scratches, cuts, bumps, etc. A brain injury directly harms the brain in some way, whether through pressure, force, or an object puncturing the skull and reaching the brain, such as a bullet, which typically causes death. Brain injuries cause the brain to swell, bleed, or become harmed somehow. Head injuries may impact the skull, face, or other parts of the head but not impact the brain. These are generally considered non-traumatic injuries but may also be grave or result in hospitalization, as TBIs often do.
What are the red flags for brain injury?
According to various resources and research, red flags for brain injuries include the following:
- Confusion
- A severe headache
- A sudden difference in personality
- Uneven pupil sizes
- Seizures or convulsions
- Nausea or vomiting
- Clear fluid drainage from the nose
- Weakness or numbness in the body, neck, or spine
- Paralysis
- Loss of consciousness
- An inability to speak
- Memory difficulties
What color represents traumatic brain injury?
Blue and green are both associated with traumatic brain injury awareness. Brain Injury Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness of people who are at a higher risk of TBIs, such as veterans, children, older adults, people with pre-existing disabilities, construction workers, and those who frequently visit dangerous work sites. During this month, take time to learn more about how TBIs impact individuals, including topics like induced comas, physical therapy, medications, daily life after a TBI, speech therapy, and other treatments people may explore. You can also learn more about how to donate, volunteer your time, or support research on treatments for TBIs.
Do you ever heal from a brain injury?
How fast one heals or whether one heals from a brain injury depends on the extent of the injury and the unique case. Some brain injuries heal quicker, such as mild concussions. Others, like strokes, severe accidents, and comas, may take longer. In addition, brain injuries related to degenerative diseases like dementia do not heal and tend to worsen with time.
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