Joannetb,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear you are struggling so.

Your conversation issues are common. One of the common problems is that social situations have lots of voices talking at the same time. Your injured brain hears them all and struggles to follow the one you are involved in. This leaves you will the 'three heads' manifestation. Two things can help. First, move to a more private area with less background voices if possible. Second, wear the earplugs during the social event. I hear the Mack's brand are the best and they are flesh like colored vs orange or yellow.

If you feel self-conscious with ear plugs, you can explain that your concussion makes if difficult for your brain to ignore the background voices. The ear plugs reduce the background voices.

I find it is also helpful to be in a corner of the room. Not having background voices coming from 360 degrees helps the brain make sense.

This time of year can be difficult because of the demand for intense social gatherings and shopping in loud and busy places. The repetitive music is a stressor, too.

I would encourage you to read the Vitamins sticky at the top. It has great information. The "You Look Great" YouTube series will be good, especially if your husband watches it. The TBI Survival Manual is also great.

I have more for you but I'll save that for later.

My best to you.