March is Brain Injury Awareness Month in Texas

Did you know that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month? This month, organizations in Texas and across the country are trying to raise awareness about the unique and difficult challenges that people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury can face.

Brain injuries can be devastating. Depending on the severity of an injury, a person can experience significant physical limitations, behavioral changes, memory loss, chronic headaches or trouble speaking. It can be one of the most catastrophic injuries that someone can suffer because it can upset every aspect of a person's life.

According to reports, there are more than 380,000 people in Texas who have suffered brain injuries that are so severe they are left disabled. About 5,700 of these victims will be disabled to some extent for the rest of their lives. Unlike other injuries, many brain injuries cannot be easily fixed with a surgery or medication, which means that victims may have a long and difficult road to recovery.

There are many facilities across Texas that are focused on helping brain injured victims cope with their condition and work to improve it. With therapy and ongoing treatment, people can work to regain or strengthen functions that have been damaged or disrupted by a brain injury. But it can be important for people to remember that many victims of this type of trauma may never fully recover.

When people suffer a traumatic brain injury, their lives can change dramatically in a matter of seconds. They can experience headaches, pain, disability or other conditions that may not be reversible. People may not be able to work or take care of themselves anymore, and the anxiety of this financial burden can only make the recovery process that much more stressful. Rather than try to deal with this difficult situation alone, injured victims may want to explore their options for pursuing Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to help them pay for critical expenses when they are unable to work and earn a living.

Source: KFOX News, "El Pasoans raise awareness of brain injuries in the Borderland," Crystal Price, March 26, 2014