War injuries can change you forever. The physical loss of a limb could make it impossible for you to work, for instance. A traumatic brain injury could change your personality. The post-traumatic stress you feel could stress you out and lead to issues with anger, substance abuse and much more.
If you have a family, it is important to remember that this injury does not just impact you. It could also have a drastic impact on your kids. Here are a few symptoms you want to keep an eye out for:
- Your kids seem very anxious or on edge all of the time
- Your children start crying more than they did before
- Your kids start acting out at school or in the home
- Your children struggle to deal with grief, loss and depression
- Your kids feel embarrassed about the way that you act or the way that you look after the injury
- Your children worry that you do not love them anymore, perhaps misinterpreting your outbursts and your own struggles — which relate back to your injury — as something that reflects on your feelings for them
- Your children think that your own issues are their fault; for instance, if you’re dealing with depression after a brain injury, they apologize for making you feel this way or blame themselves for the way you now interact with the rest of the family.
As a parent, you only want the best for your kids, and that’s why proper treatment after an injury is so important. It’s also wise to look into all of your legal options when dealing with life-changing, war-related injuries.
