Have a Brain Injury? Get a Brain Injury Identity Card

I sustained a head injury at birth which led to the memory difficulties I have and deal with daily. There have been instances when I have looked a fool, been disorganised and caused problems for myself, usually in work. But there has also been times when people have not believed me about this, as if I'm pretending to not be able to remember. When I've managed to remember one thing, this, for some people, seems to negate the countless other thing I can remember. Sometimes the fact that after hundreds of attempts at using a computer system, or at learning a martial arts manoeuvre, or at learning to drive, I've finally managed to pick up a skill and ingrain that knowledge- that ability, for some people, completely negates the condition that I have. I couldn't possibly have the problems I say I have if I can do these few things to a high level... right?

Well, wrong. The condition exists, and the proof is in a written psychological assessment. I can't bring that with me everywhere, though, and it goes into perhaps a little too much detail for most people. What I need people to know is that I have short term memory difficulties and I might mess up once in a while. No biggie (for them, at least). Until recently, the only physical proof I would have on me on an average day was the scar on the back of my head, a load of notes in my phone and a concessionary bus pass. This sounds like a lot, but given the amount of problems I've had with NHS prescription fines, dental fines, Working Tax Credit, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit, The Department for Work and Pensions in general, learning to cook and controlling my weight, huge slumps into depression and therapy treatment for this, I've learned that this proof still isn't enough for some people and you don't get the support that you NEED, to do what you need to do.

I've always strived to find answers to the questions and solutions to the problems that I'm faced with. I recently heard about Headway's Brain Injury Identity Card scheme. It offers a credit-card-sized documentation explaining, to anyone who might need to know, what kind of issues I might be facing. I filled an application for this a few weeks ago, including a PDF of my 2009 psychological assessment. Today I received an email saying the card is on its way to me!

Whether this card will convince doctors to forward me to services when they occasionally (and inexplicably) wouldn't, or whether it will prevent me racking up hundreds of pounds worth of NHS fines for ticking the wrong box, remains to be seen. But there's no way it will harm me to have this Headway card. I'd be really interested in contacting other people through social media who have this card, and particularly those who have found it useful in whatever situation. Tweet me!