Suffering from a blow to the head can result in traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can have lifelong impacts on your health. While you might initially think of matters like your ability to work and the possibility of memory loss, you should also keep your relationships in mind, too.
TBIs can have a profound effect on all personal ties, including your marriage. In fact, the effects of a TBI can jeopardize your marriage and may even result in the possible threat of divorce.
Transferring of duties and responsibilities
Headway takes a look into the impact a head injury can have on your relationships. When recovering from a TBI, you will need to take time off from your usual duties. This includes everything from managing household affairs to working to raising your family. Sometimes, recovering from a TBI can take months or years. You may even need to make permanent adjustments due to the limitations the TBI creates.
This means your spouse will take on an unequal share of duties and responsibilities at first, and this division may continue for years after the injury that brought on the TBI. This can quickly lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, frustration, and even anger or resentment.
Married to a stranger
On top of that, TBIs can significantly impact your behavior and personality. You may struggle to curb your impulses and have weaker coping mechanisms for stressful situations. You might feel easier to anger or irritate and could even lash out at your spouse. When combined with the aforementioned issues, it can leave a spouse feeling like they married an unpredictable, volatile stranger.
You need to care for your relationship in the same way you care for your health. This can help you avoid the possibility of the relationship coming to a premature end.