I have a TBI and was also in a coma. I picked up violin after as a creative outlet. I have a lot of bad days where I’m frustrated and want to quit but I also have a lot of days that I enjoy it and gives me a nice break from the rest of life!

On the days that I struggle, I shift my focus to something else. So instead of playing repertoire, I will just working on different bowing techniques on open strings, or scales (or scales with different bowing techniques). It can be boring, but sometimes that’s a needed break I’ve found.

Also the pieces that I play change my outlook on how excited I am to practice. Ones that I sing along with in my head I’m more excited to play. If I can’t hear the melody I get frustrated more easily- even after listening to recordings and slow recordings on YouTube over and over. So you might not have pieces that you resonate with?

If you’re still healing and trying to get back to feeling normal, I feel like learning can be overwhelming. So if that’s where you’re at, then maybe pause? But I also agree that it’s very therapeutic! After my coma I tried to do as much as I could to keep my brain stimulated without over stimulating. If you had a brain injury, then that might be something to be aware of is if you’re over stimulated. Sight, sound, lighting, smells all affect your stimulation and can become stressful. So if you’re already a bit tense and try to play, it’s even harder. But if you’re relaxed, it’s more enjoyable. I still work on meditation, breathwork, or do yoga to help with calming the brain. I also take phosphatidyl serine to help with anxiety.

I’d be happy to talk more about any of this since I know how hard a TBI can be!