In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it is possible that you will see impacts to many other areas of your life. This can include your interpersonal relationships, your health, and your job situation.
It is important to understand the true and full effects of a TBI. This way, you can appropriately prepare for the impact it may have on your life.
Short term memory damage and job loss
The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center discusses the impact of brain trauma on your ability to work. Specifically, they correlate the damage to short-term memory as a major reason that TBI victims struggle with job loss and have difficulties finding new jobs.
Of course, depending on the severity of the initial injury, your job may already suffer due to the long healing times involved in these incidents. You may have to take months off of work in order to recover. Some people will not return to a level of functionality required for a job for years, at which point it is possible an employer will let you go.
Physical trouble and emotional disregulation
A TBI may render you incapable of working at the same level you worked at before, too. In the case of memory loss, you may struggle with keeping up with new policies or fail to properly learn new procedures or how to use tools that you have not used before.
TBI sufferers often struggle with emotional regulation too, especially when it comes to stress. Thus, workers often end up suffering from emotional breakdowns on the job due to the combination of failing to remember things appropriately and not having the emotional capacity to deal with this stress anymore. All in all, it is a difficult situation for any TBI sufferer to be in, and it can put your livelihood in jeopardy.