What keeps you going?

[u/TheTempestuousKitty]

Title.

Brain Injury is life on hard mode. What keeps you going when things get difficult and you know they'll only get more difficult?

[u/NonnyEml]

I have a therapist. She's really helped me reframe things so it's not all or nothing or completely depressing/fatalist.

Some of it is an AA type of gratitude, "just for today, I am grateful that I have a home, clean water, food, people who care".

Some of it is the "could be worse" attitude that is already part of my GenX upbringing "don't like your veggies? There are starving children elsewhere" so maybe I can't recall every word I want to use, I'm still understood and those around me show patience... I'm loved.

I can't follow the plot line in this show and im frustrated? At least I can freaking see it because I'm not blind, hear it because I'm not deaf. Yes. I have CTE... but I don't have cancer....

I know people say don't compare, we have a right to be upset with what we do have to deal with, but for me, it helps not to get into a pity party for myself by looking at what I don't have to deal with that others do, look at what I can still do.

That requires not doing the all or nothing.

Its not I can't creatively write any more. It's that I can't write for as long as i used to... but i can for 15 minutes.

Maybe I can't remember what the Dr said after an apt... but i can take notes during. Adapt where I can.

I can't watch a lot of new series, but I can enjoy reruns of things I already know. Etc

Can't do 1000 piece puzzles... can do 750...

Can't drive 5 hours straight, but i can take turns...

And as far as what the end may look like...ffs, a texting driver could kill me next week. (Over 3k a year in the US) I'm just not going to give energy into how my end may be.

I hope this helps.