By Michael Weston
When we think of injuries, we often picture something visible—a broken arm, a limp, a scar.
- So, what happens when the injury is invisible?
- What if it’s your brain that’s been hurt?
This is the reality for over 700,000 people living with a brain injury in Australia today. Brain injuries can change a person’s life in profound and often unseen ways.
I want to share a glimpse into my daily life of living every day with a brain injury. I wasn’t born with an injury but would sustain this injury much later in my life. In fact, I was 47 years old.
I’m not sharing to gain sympathy but to raise awareness, build understanding and foster a more inclusive community. For many of us, it is an invisible injury.
The Invisible Struggles
Brain injuries affect everyone differently but I for one experience:
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Emotional and behavioural changes
- Trouble finding the right words
- Sensory sensitivity (like noise or light)
- Anxiety or depression
In the early days, tasks became overwhelming, crowded places triggered panic, holding a conversation required intense mental effort and navigating friendships was tough.
Some people drifted away from being around me because they thought I was weak, lazy and antisocial. They didn’t understand I was just exhausted from trying to keep up.
The Power of Support and Awareness
If the wider community was more aware that such invisible injuries exist, then people wouldn’t be quick to judge me based on a 30-second interaction.
Sharing my story not only helped me heal but it also helped others understand and still does to this very day.
I realised that the more people that knew about people living with brain injuries then the more compassionate they became.
Awareness turns judgment into empathy.
How You Can Help
We all have a role to play in making our communities more inclusive and supportive for people living with brain injuries. Here’s how you can help:
- Be patient – It may take someone longer to respond, remember or complete a task.
- Don’t assume – Just because someone looks fine doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling.
- Listen – Let people with brain injuries tell you what they need, don’t speak for them.
- Learn – Take time to educate yourself and others about brain injuries.
- Support – Simply by providing people like myself with the time and space to do a task or communicate will allow us to function and have feeling of acceptance.
A Life Rewritten, Not Ended
These days I continue to adapt, finding new ways to live, work and connect. Life looks different than before but it’s still full of meaning, purpose and growth.
A brain injury changed my life but it didn’t end it. I just needed time, support and people who were willing to understand, which I’m very grateful that I have now.
Final Thoughts
Brain injuries don’t define a person—but they do shape the way they move through the world. By fostering awareness and empathy, we can help create a community where everyone feels seen, heard and supported.
If you or someone you love is living with a brain injury, know this: You are not alone, and your story matters.
