Emotional survival after a TBI on We Deserve Better - Dorrin Rosenfeld

Monti Skiby refuses to allow her past injuries to control her. She lives WITH her brain injuries and Not allowing them to control her life. She has survived multiple brain injuries (12) since childhood. Her desire to overcome and succeed allowed her to work putting herself through college, which led to a successful career of over 25 years, assisting and enriching the lives of others.

Wondering how she does it? She urges us not to focus on what was lost but rather what we have. Family and friends may walk out of our lives because things have changed. It is important to realize we are not at fault, we did not ask for this to happen. Head injuries happen all different times to all sorts of people; and they do not magically disappear. Brain injuries continue to heal for the rest of our life, causing changes in us  and those around us.

We are the same person we have always been. What has changed is that we now have limitations. We will face disappointments due to lack of acceptance and understanding. Monti urges us not to lose our identity but to look inside for Who We Are not What We Were. We need to find our purpose. In our search for acceptance we ask our self "What did I do wrong" or " What do I need to do"? We cannot control how others feel or act. We can control how we feel and how we respond to others. As she has put it, "You just got fired from life." Most of us with head injuries have experienced the emotion of loss of self and purpose. We are many times unable to return to our occupation or our position in our family. Having experience with this, Monti points out the dangers of the "What if's, expecting to find an easy answer or the right pill, therapy or doctor which can change everything. False promises often result in disappointments. We face this all the time. But she  is here to share and encourage us to understand

WE TOO WILL HEAL.