5 Ways You Can Support Your Friend in the TBI Community

It is not uncommon for families of people living with TBI to get caught up in the daily tasks of caring for their loved one. While loving a family member with TBI is always an honor, sometimes keeping up with daily routines and tasks is difficult. Add in doctor’s appointments, tests, physical therapy, etc and things can really start to pile up.

It’s important that the caregiver is also feeling supported. Naturally support groups do a wonderful job, but maybe you are a friend watching from the sidelines wondering how you can help. First of all, we applaud you! You are a wonderful friend and are so necessary to this community. Secondly, we have some tips for you.

Here are 5 Ways You Can Support Your Friend in the TBI Community:

• Offer help with the mundane tasks.  Things you do on a regular basis can become difficult to keep up with when check ups and routine doctor’s appointments come into the picture. You can greatly help your friend by offering to come by and do the dishes or mow the lawn. These may seem like little things but trust us, this is a HUGE help to your friend. 

• Invite them out or offer to babysit so they can go have fun.  Nobody likes to be forgotten, even if they get busy! If you are missing seeing your friend out and about, likely they are missing you too. Take them to dinner or offer to babysit their kids so they can go enjoy themselves. These small moments are beautiful encouragement and your friend is deserving of a break!

• Cook a meal or run errands.  Maybe going out isn’t in the cards and that’s okay. Cooking a meal at their home or grabbing the groceries so they don’t have to is an excellent way to take something off their plate.

• Educate yourself on what they are going through.  If you don’t know anything about Traumatic Brain Injury, that’s okay! There are plenty of resources to help you understand what your friend and their family is experiencing. It will also mean alot to your friend that you took the time to learn about their experience. 

• Be patient with them.  Whether they are in the initial stages post-injury, or well along the journey, be patient with your friend. TBI is a stressful event and can have life altering effects. Reminding yourself to be patient will help you, and them, maintain a healthy, supportive connection. 

The reality is, none of us are alone but we can sometimes feel that way when we get bogged down by the day to day. Show your friend they are part of a community, not just an individual by showing up and helping out. Your friend will appreciate it and you might find, it helps you a little bit too. 

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