Tbi and dating

Can I date with a TBI?

Sometimes trusting your TBI brain can be scary. Drinking alcohol with a TBI is NOT a great idea, dating or not. If you are dead set on it, maybe just stick to one drink but if you can avoid it, do it. Be kind to your brain, especially when it is still healing!

Can a TBI change a couple’s relationship?

A TBI can significantly change a couple’s relationship. There are different degrees of brain injury severity, and milder injuries such as concussions do not always result in significant or long-term relationship changes.

What should partners of people with traumatic brain injury know about TBI?

The partners of people who has a TBI must first educate themselves about how brain injury impacts an individual.

Can you be in a relationship after a brain injury?

Following brain injury, individuals can — and do — start and maintain healthy, loving, committed relationships. In fact, in studies investigating the stability of romantic relationships after brain injury, results have shown couples have less of a likelihood of separating than do couples in the general population¹,².

Can you date after a traumatic brain injury?

Drinking alcohol with a TBI is NOT a great idea, dating or not. If you are dead set on it, maybe just stick to one drink but if you can avoid it, do it. Be kind to your brain, especially when it is still healing! Try to pick date activities that are beneficial to your brain, such as a nice walk downtown or a picnic at the park.

Can a traumatic brain injury (TBI) affect a relationship?

However, this answer also comes with an asterisk. In order for people with a TBI to maintain healthy, loving, romantic relationships, they will need support, encouragement, and understanding from their partner.

Where can I find more information about traumatic brain injury research?

You can learn more about TBI research being sponsored by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Get a downloadable, printer-friendly version of The Basics: Traumatic Brain Injury.

What are the treatment options for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

After the initial trauma is treated and the persons condition is stabilized, most treatments for TBI involve rehabilitation that may include some or all of the following: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), psychology/psychiatry, neuropsychology, and social support.

What happens to a couple’s relationship after brain injury?

More information is available in the Headway booklet Relationships after brain injury. Couples usually spend a significant amount of time together, and so the brain injury survivor’s partner is often aware of the effects of the injury, including ‘hidden’ effects.

How do you deal with a partner after a traumatic brain injury?

In the alternate, accepting and sharing feelings of vulnerability may reassure the survivor that they are not alone in grappling with change. In a relationship after traumatic brain injury, the partners must try not to work against the shared goals, but again it is not enough.

Can a TBI change a couple’s relationship?

A TBI can significantly change a couple’s relationship. There are different degrees of brain injury severity, and milder injuries such as concussions do not always result in significant or long-term relationship changes.

How can I find a therapist with experience with brain injuries?

Seek out a counselor or psychotherapist who has expertise in brain injuries. If there are no therapists locally with brain injury experience, couples should provide their therapist with information about injury and common relationship challenges that can accompany injury. The Web sites on this factsheet can be a good place to start.