The impact of isolation on families
Brain injuries often affect more than the person recovering - they create a ripple effect that touches family, friends and their entire support networks.
Challenges can include taking on new roles such as becoming a carer, communication issues, and changes to behaviour and sleep patterns.
Isolation can also be one of the hardest issues, leading to feelings of loneliness and stress for survivors and their loved ones.
In collaboration with Anchor Point, a national association of strategic influencers committed to change to improve the lives of families after ABI, we explore how the experience of isolation may differ depending on whether you are a survivor or a family member.
How survivors can experience isolation within their family unit:
The survivor can move out of family shared experience, causing isolation within the family itself.
Changes triggered by the brain injury can lead to conflict between family members, damaging the relationship.
How loved ones experience isolation:
Changes in family dynamic, social and professional life can feel isolating for family members too.
The lack of professional support for loved ones can compound the sense of isolation.
The trauma experienced during the acute phase of the injury can lead to a sense of suffering and loss.
In a series of three videos, The Impact of Brain Injury on Families, Dr Giles Yeates, a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist who is also a member of Anchor Point, outlines how it can impact different relatives in many different ways.
View SameYou’s resources to find out more about the ripple effect of brain injury.