The most important - and difficult - step for people with ARBI can be developing self-awareness and insight. To learn ways of coping with and compensating for your impairment, you must first develop awareness of your impairment. These three stages will help you:

• 1. Acceptance that I have brain impairment.
• 2. Understanding of how brain impairment affects my memory, thinking and behaviour.
• 3. Setting realistic goals; having realistic plans and expectations that take my brain impairment into account.

Many people with ARBI have difficulties with the first stage, acceptance. Denial of, or lack of insight into, your problems can be like a brick wall preventing you from moving through the next stages. Unfortunately, this may prevent you from learning to cope with your impairment, and from learning ways around your problems - which means you may not be living to your highest potential.

Unfortunately it can be easier to deny having ARBI and make excuses for problems than to work hard at developing self-awareness. Some common obstacles to developing self-awareness are:

• Having a memory problem can mean it is difficult
  to notice when you forget
• Injury to the front parts of the brain can affect your ability
  to evaluate and understand yourself realistically

ARBI happens gradually over many years and is difficult to notice in yourself. This is like not noticing how much your own children have grown because you see them every day.
Here are some suggestions to help you develop understanding:

• Ask for feedback from friends and family
• Don't become angry at yourself or feel guilty
• Accept the fact that anger and depression are common in coming to terms with ARBI.
  Adjusting to any change or loss involves some kind of grieving process and letting go of the past.
• Set realistic goals for your life. Striving towards goals you may be unable to meet will lead to feelings of frustration and disappointment.

Realistic goals will lead to feelings of coping, competency, achievement and success. Here is something written by someone who has been through the assessment process and was diagnosed with ARBI.