Emilia Clarke details ‘the journey of healing’ from brain injury

Emilia Clarke has compared recovery from a brain injury to "falling off the edge of a cliff without anyone there to catch you."

The 39-year-old actress has been open about suffering brain aneurysms in 2011 and 2013, and now she has reflected on how difficult it is for survivors of the terrifying health scares. 

Speaking at Variety's Power of Women London event she said, "When I finally shared my story in 2019, we were overwhelmed by the response.”

Emilia continued, “Mostly young people reached out to tell us their own stories. Today we have tens of thousands of survivors in our community saying essentially the same thing.”

"The journey to healing feels like falling off the edge of a cliff without anyone there to catch you,” the Me Before You star added.

Emilia also explained that treatments around brain injuries needs to improve, particularly with aftercare, saying, "What usually happens when you’re rushed to hospital with a brain injury is that doctors do everything possible to save your life.

"They stop the bleeding, remove the clot, find the source, cut it out, stitch you up, and send you home. But what many people don’t realise is that whatever symptoms remain — physical, cognitive, emotional, linguistic — the consequence is unresolved trauma,” the Game of Thrones actress explained.

"And there are simply too few neuropsychologists and specialist rehabilitation services for that reality to change without a major shift in priorities,” she added.

Emilia compared the current outlook on brain injuries "to where cancer was a century ago" in terms of how people approach the rehab.

She said, "When everyone around you thinks you look fine, they treat you as though you are. Eventually, you start believing you should be too.”

"I often compare brain injury today to where cancer was a century ago: misunderstood, stigmatised and hidden from view. When rehabilitation is available, it’s usually measured in weeks rather than years and focused on only the most visible symptoms,” the actress mentioned.

"Brain injury recovery is still in its infancy, leading to lost potential, lost livelihoods and too many people falling through the cracks,” Emilia Clarke concluded as she spoke of how brain injury rehabilitation and aftercare needs to be improved.