Here's the deal: people can relate to the problem because these faux pas do happen occasionally to most people. But, I can promise you, if it was indeed happening all the time people would be concerned. They'd be coming in to my office or going to see their psychologist. They would recognize that something was wrong. Because, with MTBI, it's a matter of degree and impact on functioning. Sure, it used to happen from time to time but now it occurs several times a day. Most of my clients were pretty darned efficient and really didn't make too many mistakes of this sort. Now, they just plain have trouble getting anything done. Of course they're upset!
I think people who respond by saying "that happens to me all the time" may be well-intentioned, trying to reassure you, or maybe in some sort of weird denial. And if really pressed, they'd admit that they're not really messing up "all the time." But, when you're asking for support, it's not helpful.
A psychologist (I think) by the name of Lees-Haley did some studies in the mid-nineties in which he gave questionnaires to non-brain injured people, asking them if they experienced things like anxiety, fatigue, sleep problems, etc. A lot of them said "yes". Unfortunately, these studies have been used a lot to show that people with MTBI are just complainers or making up symptoms because they are involved in lawsuits. But, again, although we can all relate to occasional problems with forgetfulness (and, yes, it does increase with age), the cognitive problems people have with MTBI are much worse and represent a huge change compared with pre-accident functioning.
So when someone says, "that's normal" just smile and say, "not for me!"
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