After A Brain Injury: Get Ready For Hulk To Smash!
A Hidden Crisis of a Brain Injury Can Manifest as the Loss of Inner Peace, Emotional Control, and Good Judgment
Everyone has an inner Hulk residing in their brain, but most of us are quite skilled at keeping him under control. However, after a brain injury, grab your popcorn and prepare for Hulk to SMASH!
My inner Hulk was unpleasant. She would snap at people, interrupt others while they were speaking, and replace my adjectives with four-letter words. I found myself saying things out loud that I normally wouldn't dare express, and I remember not caring about how those words affected others. My behavior after the brain injury ultimately impacted my credibility at work.
10th Anniversary of my TBI
After your brain injury, you may find your inner Hulk taking over your emotions and behavior. Add emotional or physical stress, and you may be triggered to suddenly snap, lose your reasoning skills, raise your voice, or throw things across the room.
After a brain injury, you might find yourself less inhibited and more likely to let your emotions take over. This can lead to inappropriate behavior and a lack of consideration for the consequences of your actions. You may even be aware of these changes. Still, you'll likely experience an ongoing internal struggle to manage your inner Hulk effectively.
As smart as Bruce Banner is, even he has difficulty controlling the big green monster lurking inside him.
Your ability to self-monitor and exercise good judgment helps you assess the consequences of your behaviors, actions, and decisions. Self-monitoring enables you to recognize socially appropriate behavior and understand the limits of your capabilities.
After a head injury, it's possible that the areas in your brain responsible for processing good judgment, reasoning, and self-awareness can be damaged. Poor brain function in these critical "adulting" skills will be reflected in your behavior.
If your self-monitoring, judgment, and reasoning skills were disrupted during your brain injury, say hello to the Hulk.
Until these brain processes heal, I strongly recommend seeking help from your general practitioner, physical medicine rehabilitation doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, or a trusted family member or friend to help you recognize when your inner Hulk is beginning to take over your brain and behavior.
I’m a Comic Book Woman
I would not recommend returning to work until you can recognize your inner Hulk being agitated and you can apply recommended strategies and therapies to divert bad decisions and behaviors.
At work, when I started to feel stressed or overwhelmed, I used several strategies to help manage my emotions, such as taking deep breaths, taking a rest break, practicing mindfulness, or walking away from the stressful situation. When I was in an intense meeting where leaving was not an option, I learned to remain quiet and focus on listening instead of speaking. Eventually, I was able to regain my credibility with my colleagues.
Fortunately, for most people, these areas of the brain begin to function normally again early in the recovery process. In the meantime, write down your feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a journal. This will help you identify what triggers your frustrations and strengthen your ability to manage them. Also, please practice the strategies your specialist recommends at home, so you will be well-prepared to control your emotions when returning to work.
Take care, get better, get stronger,
Kelly Tuttle
Brain-Loving Advocate.
P.S. As a brain injury survivor, I understand the challenges of reintegration into the workforce. If you're also a survivor looking to return to work, please visit my website for my online program: Return to Work and Life After a Brain Injury.
You can also find my book, After the Crash: How to Keep Your Job, Stay in School, and Live Life After a Brain Injury, and additional resources.
My book, After the Crash, is also on Audible.
My book, After the Crash: How to Keep Your Job, Stay in School, and Live Life After a Brain Injury, can be found on Amazon or at your favorite independent bookstore
I created a journal just for you! Check out My Brain Injury Recovery Journal