Living with a traumatic brain injury, whether the trauma occurred because of a car accident, a fall, unsafe working conditions, or otherwise, can be an isolating experience. While plenty of TBI sufferers need support and help caring for themselves from family or professional caregivers, the recovery often feels lonely and insurmountable.

During National Brain Injury Awareness Month, the Brain Injury Association of America is focused on promoting their latest campaign – Not Alone – which provides a platform to educate people about brain injuries and de-stigmatize the injury. It’s also important for everyone to understand the severity and reach of this sometimes debilitating affliction.

Brain injuries claim the lives of 137 people every day.

Someone in the United States is impacted by a brain injury every 13 seconds.

Every year, an estimated 2.4 million children and adults in the United States suffer a TBI.

Acquired brain injuries (ABI) from nontraumatic causes affect 795,000 people annually.

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most costly public health crises in the nation, costing $75 billion a year.

TBI is the leading cause of long-term disability in children and adults under the age of 35.

Twenty percent of U.S. service members currently serving in the military have suffered combat-related TBI.

Over 1.6 million U.S. soldiers who have been deployed to a combat environment since 2001 have suffered a TBI.

A brain injury can cause aggression, violence, depression, addiction, and suicide.

A therapeutic trial for a drug that is aimed at TBI is meant to target how the brain self-regulates behavior, particularly how the brain controls impulsiveness and aggression.

The National Institute of Health spends $87 million annually on TBI research. A substantial amount alone, but small when compared to the over $5 billion spent every year by the National Cancer Institute.

Scientific research has focused on how the brain is damaged by TBI and how trauma like this might be prevented, an effort supported in part by the large number of NFL players and other athletes who have vowed to have their brain tissue donated to science after their death to determine if they were afflicted with CTE. While brain injury prevention is critical, as well as accurate diagnosis, just as important is a need to develop treatments for survivors of TBIs that can aid them in improving cognition, stabilizing moods, reducing impulsivity, and learning how to live their lives again with a new normal.

It’s critical, too, for caretakers, family, and friends of TBI sufferers to be educated about this trauma, particularly people who are unaware of the immense reach that a TBI can have. Brain injuries can affect whether or not a person can go to school, do their job, pay bills, go to the grocery store, and even care for their personal needs. 

If someone you love has been impacted by a TBI, knowing the statistics surrounding this affliction, as well as the challenges and chances of recovery, can help you be a better caregiver and support system.

About: David Christensen represents victims who have suffered an auto-related traumatic brain injury. Christensen Law is located in Ann Arbor and Southfield, Michigan.