Posted by DCoE Public Affairs from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center on March 30, 2016
In honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month, we are featuring the stories of people who experienced brain injuries and recovered. In this post from A Head for the Future, Brian O’Rourke didn’t realize he had a brain injury until loved ones persuaded him to get help. A video about O’Rourke’s brain injury experience is available on the A Head for the Future web page.
Service members, veterans and their families may carry the stress and confusion of living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) long before it is diagnosed. Often, family members and friends are the first to notice the signs and symptoms of a TBI and urge their loved one to seek help. Retired Navy SEAL Brian O’Rourke spent months in denial, experiencing behavior changes and having trouble sleeping, before his family and friends persuaded him to find the support that led to his TBI diagnosis.
O’Rourke and his wife, Tammy, share the story of the challenges in their marriage and family life before Brian sought treatment for his symptoms, which included insomnia, irritability and anxiety.