Hi Mail man,

I have had a huge increase in anxiety since my concussion and with each subsequent one. Anxiety had never been a problem for me before (although I had struggled with depression for a long time pre-injury).

The hardest part for me is that my anxiety is often not attached to particular thoughts, so it is hard to work with. For example, I don't get worried about safety or worried about hitting my head. I often just get intense physical symptoms of anxiety that don't seem to be about anything, which makes me feel totally crazy. This goes on most evenings.


Things that have worked for me in varying amounts:

- being outside. either just sitting, or going for a walk, or anything.

- gardening or yard work. obsessively now that it's spring. If I do enough time of it, it keeps the anxiety down for the whole day. Unfortunately, I am then physically wiped out for the remainder. I think what helps is the combination of being outdoors, being in the dirt/working with plants, and the physical exercise (that's where I have to be more careful with the movements). It's kind of a catch 22 because I am escaping the anxiety, but to do so I overdo it... tricky.

- I take a mood stabilizer and an ssri which had to be increased unfortunately, but for now that was necessary.

- I have done a lot of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, so those skills are helpful for me. it is mindfulness based.

Hope this helps. you're not alone.
julie