How acquired brain injury can lead to isolation for survivors and families
There is a common misconception that people living with an acquired brain injury will show obvious or easily identifiable symptoms. While some effects, such as physical disabilities or difficulties with communication, emotional dysregulation and fatigue, can be visible, the ongoing psychological impact of a brain injury is often less well understood. One of the most significant yet overlooked consequences is isolation, which can affect not only the person with the injury, but also their family and friends.
Research has shown what many people with an acquired brain injury already know: isolation can be a very real part of daily life.
Social isolation after an acquired brain injury
From my experience as a solicitor working closely with clients who have suffered brain injuries, social isolation is one of the most common and distressing issues they face. For some people, especially children and young people, an acquired brain injury can affect the social skills needed to build and maintain relationships. Even subtle effects of a brain injury can make social interaction more difficult. Fatigue, for example, is a very common symptom and can be both significant and debilitating. For many children, friendships are formed through play, sport and shared activities. When a child cannot take part in the same way as their peers, feelings of exclusion can quickly develop into isolation.
For many of our younger clients, isolation stems from a lack of understanding among their peers. Sadly, it is not uncommon for parents to tell us that their children experience bullying or exclusion at school. While a brain injury may already make peer relationships harder to navigate, it is often the lack of awareness and understanding around acquired brain injury that deepens these feelings of isolation at such an important stage of life.
Children with an acquired brain injury can also be more vulnerable than their peers. In some cases, other children or adults may take advantage of them. They may be more easily led, which can have serious consequences. Once a child realises that someone has taken advantage of them, they may develop difficulties with trust and become wary of future relationships. That is why it is so important that vulnerable children are supported to build positive peer relationships, helping to reduce the risk of isolation continuing into adulthood.
Isolation does not affect children alone. Parents can also become isolated when they need to dedicate more time to caring for a child with an acquired brain injury than they otherwise would. It is not uncommon for parents in these circumstances to feel cut off from friends and family, especially when so much of their time is devoted to care. Some parents may also have to stop working, losing a vital source of social contact and day-to-day routine.
How brain injury can affect the whole family
Isolation can arise not only from friends and the wider community, but also within the family itself. Siblings, particularly younger siblings, often say they do not fully understand their brother or sister’s brain injury. Behavioural and emotional changes following a brain injury can sometimes be perceived as aggression, making it harder for close bonds to develop. At a young age, children may struggle to understand why their sibling behaves differently, which can create distance within the family.
Even simple family experiences, such as holidays, can become far more difficult when one of the children has an acquired brain injury. Families may need to think carefully about accommodation, flight times and care arrangements, among many other factors. As a result, some families feel they have little choice but to scale back their plans considerably. Over time, this can leave both the child and the wider family feeling isolated, particularly when opportunities to travel or enjoy new experiences feel out of reach.
This impact is not limited to the person who has experienced the brain injury. There is also a significant risk that younger family members become isolated themselves. Family members can find it incredibly difficult to come to terms with a new normal after a loved one’s brain injury. Because they are often closest to that person, they are also the ones most aware of even the smallest changes.
Family members often describe feeling as though their loved one has changed beyond recognition. Someone who was once quiet and introverted may appear confident and extroverted after a brain injury, and the opposite can also happen. Although relatives often continue in a caring role, many also experience a profound sense of loss. Children, for example, may suddenly take on far more responsibility to help care for a parent with an acquired brain injury. This can leave them feeling isolated not only within their family, but also from their peers, as they are forced to grow up much faster than the children around them.
Support for families affected by acquired brain injury
It is important to recognise that you and your child are not alone if you are experiencing feelings of isolation after an acquired brain injury. Charities such as the Child Brain Injury Trust offer support and guidance for children who suffer acquired brain injury in childhood and their families. They also provide face to face events which offer the opportunity to bring families together who may be experiencing similar situations. For adults with acquired brain injury, charities such as Silverlinings Brain Injury Charity organise a whole range of social activities designed to bring people out of isolation. In addition, campaigns such as Action for Brain Injury Week, led by Headway, which in 2026 focuses on isolation after brain injury, play a vital role in raising awareness and encouraging understanding. For survivors and families, these conversations can provide reassurance, validation and connection. By sharing lived experiences, we can help more people understand the hidden impact of brain injury and make the world feel less isolating for those affected.
