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Peace of Mind Living with an acquired brain injury can significantly affect mental health. Here’s how The Salvation Army can help. BY LIEUTENANT RICK APPERSON
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hortly before Christmas, I was waiting at a pub to pick up toys from a recent motorcycle toy drive. What was supposed to be a five-minute job took more than two hours, and I had to wait in an extremely noisy environment, with thumping music, loud voices and an auctioneer who had the mic cranked up high so that people at the back of the pub could hear him. When I was finally able to leave, I spent the next couple of hours crying, lying in bed, unable to do much of anything. It took me a few days to find my balance again. My brain felt like it was stuck in molasses. I am a Salvation Army officer and I live with an acquired brain injury. Some days—like that day at the pub—it can significantly affect my mental health. 20 March 2020 Salvationist
Never-Ending Recovery As I started to write this article, I sat in my office with tears streaming down my face. It had not been the best day. Nothing major had happened—nothing that would qualify as a “reason” for the tears running down my cheeks. But when you experience mental illness, any day can be a struggle. At times, it feels like you are on the verge of going over the edge of a cliff and clawing to stay on top. I have had nine concussions, with my most significant ones occurring in 2013 and 2014, and my last one in 2017. Most of these head traumas were the result of playing sports and games, as well as accidents. One was a work-related accident from a prior job. The recovery process has been long
and hard and will never truly end, barring a miracle from the Lord. At my worst, I did not recognize letters. Reading, watching TV—any activity—fatigued me and I would nap for hours. My emotions have gone up and down—I’ve experienced a lot of anger and shed many tears. I’ve lived with a humming sound in my head for more than a year. I still cannot process background noise, fatigue more easily and struggle with words when I am tired or stressed. My shortterm memory is horrible. If something is not written down, it is gone. Yet I have recovered to the point where I can work full time, and write and deliver a sermon. This year, I was able to preach without notes for the first time in years. Yet I still struggle with my
