Until recently, there was very little evidence-based research into how people cope with a spouse’s brain injury. In fact, for far too long, doctors counseling spouses of persons with a brain injury advised them that the marriage was probably worth giving up on, and would definitely collapse under the strain of the injury and the changes in the person. Those concerns may not be 100% true, as evidenced by the divorce rate among persons with a brain injury, which is lower than the national divorce rate. However, there is no denying the fact that the injury takes a very heavy emotional toll not only on the person with the brain injury, but also the uninjured spouse who is now forced into the role of caregiver.

California brain injury lawyers find that for many spouses who are now caregivers for their injured partners, coping with life after a brain injury can be almost as devastating and traumatic as it is for the person with the injury. In fact, the incidence of mental and anxiety-related disorders among spouses who are caregivers is quite high. Many caregivers tend to collapse under the strain of dealing with the now seemingly-changed person in their home, and may even exhibit symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

According to a New York Times report, it's not just the financial struggle and the months of rehabilitation and therapy that can put strain on a marriage. It's also the change in the personality of the person that you loved and married. Behavioral changes in persons who have suffered a brain injury can range from mild to severe. It is not unusual for caregivers to fantasize about escaping from the marriage, and then going into cycles of depression and guilt over those fantasies.

Fortunately, psychologists at VCU are trying to develop special marriage counseling for persons who suffer from brain injuries and their spouses. But these special services are still fairly limited in accessibility.