Brain injuries do not just impact you. They impact your entire family. The dynamics change, the relationships change and these changes can be very drastic. They strain relationships and sometimes lead to divorce.
Perhaps you got into a car accident on the way home from work. A driver ran a red light while texting. It resulted in a devastating crash and your head hit the window. You woke up a few days later with a serious brain injury. Doctors said that you almost didn’t make it.
What now?
Expectations
Often, family members expect brain injuries to heal just like anything else. They know it will take time. They know you need medical care. But they still think about some end goal where everything goes back to normal.
It may not. You may not recover completely. Things may never be normal again. Both you and your family need to understand this reality. It can prove hard to wrap your head around.
Caregivers
For family members, they may become caregivers. Some have lamented the fact that they do not have all that much time for themselves — or none at all — since a loved one suffered a brain injury. It’s a full-time job just caring for that person.
It may also be a role that the person doesn’t want. Your spouse may feel like they have lost their own chance at happiness. They got married to have an exciting, fun-filled relationship full of mutual support. They want to start a family. They want to make memories. If they feel like they just have to take care of you 24/7 for the rest of your life, will they stay?
It’s hard to think about, but this is a real question a lot of people have to ask. Those relationships change dramatically. Not all marriages make it.
Financial challenges
You may say that the obvious counter to this isn’t divorce, but simply hiring a caregiver. Sure, your spouse does not want to take care of you all of the time, but certainly you can hire someone to do so, right?
Perhaps, but this is just one of many financial challenges that people face after brain injuries. That type of constant care is not cheap. And that’s on top of the initial medical care, lost wages and everything else.
These financial concerns add stress to the relationship. They’re not your fault or your spouse’s fault, but they can change your living situation dramatically and can absolutely change your relationship.
That’s part of the reason why you need to know all of your legal options in Florida after a brain injury. You may be able to seek compensation to cover some of these costs in the future.