What strategies do you guys employ to deal with severe anxiety following a hit to the head? I understand that being irrational and invoking anxiety will not help me improve, regardless of whether I am concussed or not, but it almost always takes over.

I understand this is common for many who post on and visit this forum, but there must be something I can immediately and consistently do following a hit that will not allow the anxiety to wreak havoc. Do I bury it? Do I try to use logic? What specific strategies does everyone use?

Last week, I had a pretty good wack to the head, and I struggled with it for several days, and even now when I think about it, my anxiety spikes. I was speed walking in a hotel, and I hit the top of my head on one of those exit signs (I'm 6'6" so these things happen).

I was aware of the hit, had no lapse in focus , concentration, nor any immediate symptoms, but as soon as it happened, I shrunk to the ground, put my hands on my head and began analyzing it. I then sat in the hotel room for 15 minutes in a corner with my eyes wide in absolute shock. I definitely had a severe adrenaline rush as well.

When I started getting brain fog yesterday, I thought it could be delayed symptom onset. Over the weekend, every moment was accompanied by the fear I wouldn't be as well as I was beforehand because I was concussed.

I am irrational, and when I cannot use logic or physics to analyze a hit, I am a total wreck. I was never an anxious person before my original TBI (the details of which are in another post), and generally the only time anxiety affects me is in the event of a hit to the head.

How do I cope? How do I trust that everything will be ok? I'm simply afraid that I will lose who I am if I get another concussion, and I don't know how to deal with that.

This was a slight rant, but I know there are many who frequently visit this forum that have far more experience dealing with anxiety and concussions, and I would love some insight. Thanks in advance.