Brain Injury and Divorce

Brain injury is a single problem with many facets.  Sometimes the changes brought on by the injury are very subtle, so that even the injured person does not recognize them.  Other times the brain injury is so severe that the injured person can no longer take care of themselves.   Sometimes the person can no longer multi-task (do many things at once), and sometimes the person loses energy.  There are many more problems caused by brain injury than we can talk about here.  However, one of the things that most people do not understand about brain injury is that it can change the interests and personality of the injured person.  If the injured person is married, this can affect the marriage.

In the winter volume of its quarterly publication of the TBI Challenge, the Brain Injury Association of America published some facts about the rate of divorce among couples when one of the partners suffers a brain injury.  The good news is that statistics show that overall the rate of divorce for couples where one of the partners has a brain injury is consistent with national norms.  The statistics do indicate that more severe the injury, the higher the rate of divorce.   Age seems to matter, those who were 60 or older, at the time of the injury, were more likely to stay together.  In addition for people married longer before the injury the rate of divorce after the injury goes down.

John believes the key is to know that a brain injury does have an impact on the injured person.  If the spouse realizes that some of the changes they are seeing in their spouse after the injury are caused by the injury, they increase their ability to deal with those changes and seek out assistance.  Marriage is important to our society.  This new research gives the brain injured community hope for the continued success of their marriages.

If you, or a loved one, have suffered a brain injury, call John, he has the experience to help.