This topic really hits home to me.

I had this happen to me yesterday. I was upstairs and the ceilings are slanted and narrow. I've hit my head up there several times since my concussion but none since April. Probably the reason for my slow recovery. Anyway I was moving some boxes and the top of my head just barely missed hitting the ceiling. I mean I felt it on the top of my hair. This gave me some severe anxiety for several hours. I kept thinking that I actually did hit my head, but I knew that I clearly just missed it. I knew for sure that it only hit the top of my hair but I still couldn't get the fear of hitting my head out of my head. Luckily I was able to relax by last night.

For me I have seen some improvements in the last month and the panic sets in when I imagine going back to the darkest place that I came from. Also the delayed response that comes with brain injury is a pain and creates panic. I've been though this cycle so many times it makes me sick. After the hit you essentially have to wait a week or so for the secondary injury to know how far of a setback you are in for. It drives me insane.

I think what we are all experiencing is a level of anxiety which turns into OCD-type behavior. It's really textbook if you look up OCD. It's pretty crazy. Hallucinations which you know aren't real but you can't help but believe them and be scared of them. Then again, when you consider the way our lives have been affected by such hits to the head, wouldn't it be a natural reaction to try and avoid further injuries by increasing awareness? In my opinion, us who react this way are smarter and evolutionarily superior to those who would just brush it off in the sense that we are actively attempting to avoid further injury. It just happens that our nervous system is on overdrive due to the mental and physical trauma that has occurred from the concussion(s). On the other hand, maybe our brains are just looking for an outlet for the many emotions due to the unknowns that come with PCS. Obviously we need to learn how to confrol these hyperactive responses and stop the negative thought patterns, but I don't see the initial reaction as a negative.

Mark's advice seems to be spot on. I'm trying to get a good therapist with experience in brain injury to conduct CBT. Medications can be hit or miss and I doubt the injured brain really needs any more to deal with. This being said I do take lorazepam due to my high anxiety levels but I was on this before my injury. I have been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder but it is clear as day that I have full blown Obsessive compulsive disorder now.

Sorry for the rant but I couldn't help letting off a little steam.