You can't see it on the outside, but every day living with a concussion / brain injury brings an internal struggle. You're constantly fighting what you want to do, what you used to be able to do, and what your brain will allow you to do. There's the physical toll- the fatigue, the headaches, the balance issues... There's also the emotional toll- the grief, the depression, the loss of identity... and more.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, we wrap up Season 2 with an uplifting episode. Cristabelle opens with an encouraging reminder to be kind to yourself, and then we hear some empowering words of hope from brain injury professionals. You are not alone - and there is always hope!

Friends, dating, family, co-workers, and more... social communication can be a struggle for brain injury survivors! Let's break down some of the common difficulties in interpreting social cues from others, as well as how symptoms affect the way we communicate. 

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, Cristabelle has invited Speech Language Pathologist Katherine Noyes to join for all things relationships and social communication after TBI. Some topics include: nonverbal cues, tone of voice, repeating yourself, memory loss, interrupting, texting/social media, and more. We'll also discuss maintaining friendships and navigating dating relationships.

This episode is helpful for survivors but also will provide value for caregivers, friends and family to understand why some of these breakdowns in communication may happen. It would be a good one to share with your loved ones!

For brain injury survivors, having some sort of self-awareness when it comes to symptoms is key to moving forward in recovery. When we are able to learn our brain & body's "tells" or when a symptom flare-up is beginning to happen, we are better able to assess if we need to rest, or if we can push through. It also helps us to know what types of treatment to seek out - especially because it's invisible, so others can't see your symptoms on the outside. However, self-awareness after brain injury doesn't always come easy due to feeling disconnected from yourself, the constant fatigue, or even just headache pain. Today, Cristabelle walks us through how to grow in self-awareness so that we can become better advocates for our own recovery. Caregivers will also learn how to support their survivor in growing in this area.

Living with a brain injury, some days hope is the only thing that gets you through.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, Cristabelle is joined by her mother, Cyndie Braden, to speak about lessons they have learned over the 14 years of brain injuries. They speak vulnerably about some of the difficult aspects of the journey, while also sharing the growth in the family, caregiver, and survivor perspectives. You will also hear clips of Cristabelle from 10 years ago in 2012 speaking about her injury, at around the 5 year mark, as we reflect on 10 years of Hope After Head Injury.