Own Your Recovery
By Jessica Cleveland
March 24, 2022
If reading/screen time is bothersome to you, please feel free to listen to the audio version of this post below. I do add a little more background and context for this post as well.
Learning From My Mistakes
I have to admit that immediately after my traumatic brain injury (TBI) I felt very “victimized'' by my injury. I was in an accident that came out of nowhere. I quite literally did not see it coming, and I didn’t cause it. At the time of my accident I had no idea what a concussion or TBI was, and I was caught completely by surprise at how severe and debilitating my symptoms were. I could no longer function like I used to. I started to lose my sense of who I was, and I genuinely felt that I no longer provided any value to the world around me anymore. I was really angry, and I think I legitimately felt like somebody else should fix this for me. The situation just felt so unfair.
Looking back on those early years of recovery, I can see just how disempowering my early approach to recovery was. I think that I thought the anger was making me feel powerful, but I had no idea that I was actually giving the power to everyone but myself. I did eventually realize that I was the only one that was going to be able to fix my situation and nobody was going to do it for me. But it took some time for me to realize that I had to take personal responsibility for my recovery. Once I started to take responsibility for my recovery my life started to improve in every way imaginable.
What does taking ownership look like?
Taking ownership starts with taking full responsibility for the success or failure of your recovery. You can’t blame anyone else, it is up to you to figure out how to successfully move forward. Defining your version of success will be the first step along this journey. How do you define a successful recovery? What does your ideal version of your future self look like?
It is important to be specific when defining your recovery goals. Try to be more specific than, “I want my brain injury to be cured”. It is hard to know what “cured” really means. Instead, identify the symptoms that you feel are limiting you the most, and concentrate on minimizing those. For example, if you currently have 15 migraine days per month, your goal may be to only have 5 or less migraine days per month. This is a tangible and measurable goal. Now you can effectively assemble a healthcare team that will help you reach this specific goal.
Taking ownership also means carefully choosing your medical team. You will need to actively research doctors and other healthcare providers that provide the type of expertise you are looking for. Make sure you clearly communicate your goals to your doctors and ask them directly if they can help you meet those goals. You will need to be strong enough to remove members of your healthcare team that are not helping you reach your goals. The same is true for your support network. Choose the people that support you carefully. Make sure that they are not working against your efforts for recovery. Remember that any failures within your teams are your responsibility.
Total responsibility for success and failure can be a very difficult thing to accept, especially when things are not going well. Just remember, there is no one out there that knows what you need better than you do! Trust me when I say that if you commit to taking charge of your recovery you will learn and grow in ways that you never thought possible. You will also realize that you are so much stronger and more capable than you thought. So, take a moment to ask yourself how you are approaching your recovery. Are there any areas where you could take charge and make good things happen for yourself?
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:
Jessica Cleveland is not, nor is she holding herself out to be, a doctor/physician, nurse, physician's assistant, advanced practice nurse, or any other medical professional ("Medical Provider"), psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, counselor, or social worker ("Mental Health Provider"), registered dietician or licensed nutritionist, or member of the clergy. As a TBI Recovery Institute coach, Jessica Cleveland is not providing health care, medical or nutritional therapy services, or attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any physical, mental or emotional issue, disease, or condition. The information provided on this website or within any services provided by the TBI Recovery Institute is not intended to be a substitute for the professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by your own Medical Provider or Mental Health Provider. Always seek the advice of your own Medical Provider and/or Mental Health Provider regarding any questions or concerns you have about your specific situation before implementing any recommendations or suggestions from our Website or services. Do not disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical advice because of the information you have read on this Website. If you have, or suspect that you have, a medical or mental health problem, contact your own Medical Provider or Mental Health Provider promptly. The information contained on this Website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
