Eric’s Story – My Brain Isn’t The Same And That’s Okay (VBIS)

The day that Eric M realized that something was wrong with his brain started out like any other day.

As a child growing up in Alberta, Eric was diagnosed with ADHD. Then in 2007, after he had moved to BC, he was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. But it wasn’t until the day that Eric, working for UPS at the time, parked his truck one day and freaked out.

“I didn’t know what it was, but I knew something was wrong with my brain and I knew it was not bipolar.”

Eric saw a doctor and for two days did a variety of brain testing. He was ready for what he discovered – that several concussions due to being thrown or dropped as a small child in addition to sports related incidents had left him with a brain injury.

In 2019 a doctor with the Cool Aid Society told him about VBIS. Out of work and living in a shelter, Eric attended ABI 101 at VBIS in November and what he learned changed his life.

“Thanks to VBIS, the biggest thing for me was learning that I’m not the only one.”

After attending ABI 101 Eric started the Coping Strategies program in January 2020 and credits the group with providing him with a supportive network of like-minded people who understand what it’s like to navigate the day-to-day life of a brain injury survivor.

“Brain injury is not always straight forward,” he says. “VBIS taught me that my brain isn’t the same and that’s okay. It’s what you do with that knowledge that counts.”