I Have a What? A Guide for Coping with Moderate-to-Severe TBI

RRTC ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OF PERSONS WITH TBIprobably make you feel bad. Changing the way you think about a situationmay help you feel less anxious. See page 69 for more information aboutchanging thought patterns.Distraction – Sometimes you can help your anxiety by just distractingyourself. Getting involved in other things can help take your mind off yourworries.Relaxation Exercises and Guided Imagery -See page 63 for more information on ways to helpyou relax.Psychotherapy – If your anxiety is bad enough,talking with a therapist can help. This isespecially true if you are having panic attacks with your anxiety.Medication – Talking with your doctor may be helpful if your anxiety is notgoing away. Sometimes medications can help you manage anxiety.Anger/IrritabilityEveryone gets angry or irritable once in a while. Often you may beangry for a good reason. Anger and irritability can become a problemthough. It can get in the way of your ability to get along with otherpeople in your life. Sometimes people may notice that they are moreeasily irritated or angry after a moderate-to-severe TBI. You may feel asif you have a “shorter fuse.” One of the most common causes of irritability can befatigue. You are much more likely to lose your temper when you are tired or overworked.Sometimes people become more irritable after a moderate-to-severe TBI because of theinjury to the brain. Other times, people become irritable because of the stress that amoderate-to-severe TBI can cause. Irritability is one of the more commonly reportedproblems following a moderate-to-severe TBI.Page 39