TBI and how it changes everything

I have always had an interest in working with trauma patients in Occupational Therapy. The human brain is an amazing thing and how it can sustain such injury and recover is somewhat of a miracle. However, TBI's can change you. My boyfriend's step dad acquired a TBI after being bucked off a mule on a pavement road. It took months of recovery and he was able to return back to work but he has told me first hand he lost many of his friends due to his accident because people said he changed and didn't know how to act around him. I've talked to him first hand on his experience because the accident happened before I knew him so to me he's just then same sweet Kevin I've always known. Kevin has told me that this has affected his confidence and he doesn't see the same person when he looks in the mirror anymore. He also lost his sense of smell which affects his taste and he doesn't even like the same foods as before.

I just feel that people should be more aware of the affects of such an injury and empathize with people on what they are experiencing and going through before tossing them to the side because they are different that what they were prior to the accident. It's clear to me that losing his friends has impacted him in a way that they brain injury couldn't have.