March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Today starts Brain Injury Awareness Month. Every March for the last 30 years the Brain Injury Association of America has helped spread awareness of the devastating effects of brain injuries by educating the public about them and the needs of the brain injured and their families. The current campaign, Change Your Mind, started in 2018 and is running until 2020, and gives people the tools to help and be helped.

Brain Injury Awareness Month tries to destigmatize brain injuries by reaching out to the public. When people know more about brain injuries, they are less likely to feel shame about receiving them. This also helps people find the support they need to heal. Prevention is also a large part of this month. If people prevent a brain injury from happening in the first place, they do not have to go through the lengthy healing process.

Brain Injury Awareness Month helps sufferers of brain injuries and families of those who are suffering. Around 2.8 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury every year. Of those 2.8 million, 50,000 die, 282,000 are hospitalized, and 2.5 million are treated and released from the hospital. The people who sustain these injuries need to be aware of the symptoms and services available so they can take care of themselves. Friends and family also need to help those who sustain brain injuries.  Being patient with them, helping them with day to day tasks, getting them out of the house, and providing a sense of normalcy go a long way in starting the healing process. Without the support of family, people would not heal as quickly, which is why Brain Injury Awareness Month was started in the first place: to help those in need seek help and receive treatment for their injuries.

If you would like to help you can donate at the Brain Injury Association’s donate page here.

You can also donate to them by calling 703-761-0750 or going here and downloading and mailing in the form to Brain Injury Association of America at P.O. Box 7416, Merrifield Virginia 22116-7416.

Sources:

“Get the Stats on Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States” BrainLine (April 27, 2017). [Link]

“March is Brain Injury Awareness Month” Brain Injury Association of America (March 14, 2017). [Link]

“6 Easy Ways to Help a Family Member with a Traumatic Brain Injury” SpinalCord.com (April 19, 2018). [Link]