Brain Injury: A Hidden Disability: Billy's Story

I got knocked down by a bus in 1993 and was rushed to the Southern General.  I had a blood clot that they had to remove.  I was in a coma for 10 days.

When I left hospital I had problems with my eyes, double or treble vision.  I did get offered some physiotherapy for my balance, but it was a long way to go for it, so I stopped going.
After I got out of hospital I went back to college.  I had got a B+ at O level English – I was dead proud of that.  I loved history and wanted to do English Higher, but I was taking lots of painkillers because I had a headache every day.  And I was drinking a lot, so I stopped going to college.

I tried to sign on for disability benefits but they said I was fit for work.  I started doing security work and I did that for 5 years.  I was getting more and more stressed doing it.  At the same time I was spending a lot of money trying to fix the damp in my flat.  I gave up my job, but I was still having problems signing on for benefits.  Things got really bad.  I refused to sign on, I stopped eating and I sold everything in my flat. 

I went back to Aberdeen which is where I come from, but the Council there wouldn’t help me with housing and advised me to go back to Glasgow.  I met someone who sold the Big Issue who took me in.  He took me up to Inverness and got me into the Salvation Army hostel there.  They recognised the problems I had but their hostel was closing.  So I came back to Glasgow and spent some time in the Salvation Army hostel in Hope Street.  They helped me get my flat in Cowcaddens,

I’ve been there 3 years now.

I’m a lot more comfortable now I get help from Headway.  I like coming to Headway on a Wednesday, there’s a lot of people there and a lot going on.  It helps me get to know people.  Apart from my friend, Alan, I don’t really know anyone.  I’ve got no family and I’ve become more withdrawn since my accident.  I threatened suicide once, which was a cry for help, so I was in Levendale Hospital for a week.

I’d like to get out more and have something to do.  I like playing darts.  I have problems filling up my time.  I’d like to work but sometimes it takes me 4 or 5 hours to get going.  Some days I can do things, others I can’t. 

I’m a bit more optimistic now but I still get depressed.  It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve sorted myself out.  I’m not angry about my head injury now but you know there’s a lot of prejudice about.