Hi Abbilee,

Welcome to our little brain boo boo club here at NT.

Sadly, the dismissive attitude you're encountering from your doctors is pretty much a universal experience for those of us with the "invisible injury." Doctors receive very little training about TBI - and their ignorance shows. What they don't understand becomes a product of your psychological weakness. This is especially stupid as depression and anxiety are SYMPTOMS of PCS, not its cause.

Your GPs might be labouring under the impression that PCS can only follow injuries that involve penetration of the skull and/or being knocked out. In fact, whiplash, with the brain striking the rough, hard interior of the skull, is a VERY common mechanism for PCS. Sadly, MRIs and CatScans are not sensitive enough to image damage to all those tiny axons. Aside from showing bleeds, these tests will come back clear - and the unsophisticated doctor will proclaim the patient, fine.

The good news for you is that other medical professionals, including a psychiatrist, are taking your symptoms seriously.

My advice to you is to push for a neuro-psych examination. As a psychology student, you are probably familiar with the term. That might really be the best way to prove your injury. More importantly, it will help target cognitive therapies, like Attention Processing Training, etc, that could improve your functioning.

My experience has convinced me that one of the reasons doctors are so dismissive of TBI is that it is very hard for them to treat. In the early stages of the injury, the most important things seem to be sleep, proper diet and mental and physical rest.

Are you symptoms persisting, or more pronounced, because you are doing too much? TBI patients have to learn to listen to our body, although we rarely like what it's saying.

Again welcome - you are among people who understand.