When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), every aspect of his or her life may be impacted. Speech, coordination, physical ability, and even the way one thinks can be affected, and in many cases, the survivor will face these effects forever.

However, there are steps that a TBI survivor can take toward recovery. They won’t necessarily cure all of the symptoms left by the injury, but they can restore some sense of normalcy to the person’s life.

The term “brain injury rehabilitation” covers many different types of recovery, from specialized support systems to early types of treatment the patient can receive. Some kinds of rehabilitation occur inside hospitals or recovery centers (inpatient rehabilitation). Others allow TBI survivors to return to their home, if they are well enough to care for themselves.

Many TBI survivors work with a rehabilitation team that consists of doctors, nurses, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, language therapists, social workers, and other specialists. When so many areas of the survivor’s life are impacted, it helps to have a professional team of experts to tackle each and every problem the TBI patient will face on the road to rehabilitation.

Together, the team will work towards a long-term treatment plan by doing the following:

• Evaluating physical and psychological struggles the person may be dealing with
• Helping the patient learn to function as independently as possible
• Providing resources that will help the survivor and their family cope
• Training the person to assess their own physical and mental abilities
• Prescribing the necessary medications to help with moods, sleep, pain and more
• Assisting the survivor in mastery of difficult activities, including daily physical tasks
• Teaching the person how to communicate with others as effectively as possible

As wonderful as rehabilitation processes can be for TBI survivors, the entire experience can be anxiety-inducing and confusing for both the patient and family members. However, no one affected by a TBI is alone: there is an entire community of online support at your fingertips. TryMunity, a non-profit organization working to raise awareness and support for TBI survivors and their families, wants you to share your story with others who are experiencing the same trials. Visit http://community.trymunity.com/ to discuss rehabilitation options and other difficult topics.