miitchan and tangje,

Welcome to NT. How are you doing?

Tell us a little about your experiences. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum. Many of us have been dealing with PCS for years or even decades as is my case.

miitchan, It sounds like you suffered a rotational concussion injury. They can be difficult. The searing forces and other impacts with the bony protuberances inside the skull can far more damaging than a simple straight on impact.

As you deal with the ignorant at school and such, it will help if you can describe a symptom in a way that they can understand.

For example, I struggle with sensory overload. My brain tries to make sense of EVERY sound and visual image it takes in. This overwhelms it. There is a filtering function in the brain that is supposed to block the extraneous sensory information so that you can focus on the important information. This filter function is commonly disrupted in PCS.

I also have very little visual memory. I can look at some thing and turn my head away and have no idea what i just saw. The critical situation for me is driving. I can stop at a stop sign, look to my left and see the oncoming cars. Then I look to my right and see the oncoming cars. But, I have already forgotten what I just saw to my left. This explanation is usually understood by others.

I have accommodations and work-arounds for these problems. I close my eyes if I can when I am visually overwhelmed. It helps me listen better. I use foam ear plugs when there is too many sounds.

If I am driving, which is rare, I verbalize what I saw to the left. My auditory/verbal memory is bit better than my purely visual memory. I will say, "Clear to the left" as I am looking to the right. This holds on to the memory of the traffic to the left so I can combine it with the vision of what I see to the right.

There are lots of work-arounds and accommodations that we can use to deal with our symptoms. I believe that they are more beneficial than the psychological help. The anxiety and depression is enhanced by the feeling of helplessness as we try to deal with our symptoms.

Don't get me wrong. There is a component of depression that is physiologically caused by the concussion. Good brain nutrition and a low stress environment is good medicine for this.

The rare psychologist/psychiatrist/social worker/occupational therapist who has skills at helping you with these work-arounds and accommodations are a God send. If you have found one, cherish your opportunity to get good help.

BTW, I hope you have decided to stop playing soccer. I had to stop playing after my sophomore season (1971). It is a tough decision but worth it as you look forward to a long and concussion free life. Multiple Concussion Syndrome is a real bear to deal with. You never know when the next life changing concussion is going to happen.

My best to you two.