Overview

In this module you can learn about the experiences of Veterans who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) by seeing, hearing and reading personal stories they shared with us. Our research team interviewed 38 Veterans from across the United States. The Veterans we talked to were all asked to share the story of their injury, including when/how they first noticed something was wrong, the type of treatment or medical care they received, whether they experience ongoing symptoms, whether/how their injury has impacted different aspects of their life, how they have coped with challenges arising from their injury, and lessons they have for other Veterans who have experienced TBI. 

We spoke to Veterans from a wide range of ages and eras of service. They had different experiences in the military and after their return to civilian life. Some were deployed and some were not. Some sustained their injury during their military service and others were injured after discharge. But all were united in the hope that by sharing their story, they may be able to help other Veterans struggling with similar issues. 

Hear what some of the people we talked to said they would like to share with other Veterans who have experienced TBI. 

This website was designed to share the range of experiences and stories that Veterans shared with us. We attempted to portray all experiences, both positive and negative, and to highlight both the challenges of living with TBI and the opportunities for recovery and growth. Please note that the sub-topics under ‘Nature of injury and diagnosis’ and ‘Living with TBI’ include more about peoples’ struggles. The sub-topics under ‘Coping and support’ and ‘Looking forward’ include more about how people cope with, live with, treat, and heal from TBI. 

All of the Veterans we talked to spoke of the importance of getting help, especially during times of crisis. Please visit our resources page for more information on crisis services and other types of support for Veterans and their families.

You can start viewing topics by clicking 'Next Topic' above; this will take you to the first of the topics summaries listed at left. Or, you can select a different starting point from the list. You can also view 'People's Profiles' from the tab above for information on the individual people we talked to.

Funding for this work was provided by: This project was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research & Development (FOP-15-001).