There are no 'rules of thumb" as to how long PCS symptoms will last.

I think the most important thing for you to consider is simply this. How can you minimize the overloads so that you can have longer periods between overloads?

Healing will happen best with long periods between overloads. You appear to be taking 10 steps forward then 9 steps back. You need to have 20 steps forward with only 9 steps back. Eventually, the decompensations (relapses) will become less intense, especially as you learn to lengthen the time between decomps.

For the short term, you need a serious lifestyle change. This means good family support, etc.

I have been suffering form PCS since 1965. I have had many 're-injuries' along the way. Each successive injury took more effort to recover. My last injury in January 2001 left me with some permanent disabilities. I spent the first year trying to ignore my problems and just forge ahead. I was miserable and those around me too.

Once I had some good diagnostics done, I accepted and understood my symptoms as real and was able to start focusing on reducing or avoiding the triggers.

I still test just a bad as I did in February 2002 but I have made leaps ahead in function by learning to avoid triggers and to work-around or accommodate my symptoms. The frustration of fighting against the symptoms only made them worse.

Many on the forum will appear to have recovered fully. Studies show that their symptoms can return in a flash with the right trigger or stress load. So... even recovering ?fully? requires one to still live as a PCS sufferer.

I started changing my work situations back in 1978 when I first realized how stress was effecting me. I made several changes since then as my tolerance for stress have weakened. When I hit my 40's, thinks got much worst. The brain loses a lot of its healing ability during the 40's.

In 1982, I had to give of my dream of flying as a private pilot because my brain did not tolerate the stresses of altitude.

Find you limits. Learn to live within them. Then, hopefully, you will regain some ability to raise your limits.

The fact that you need to get better does not change how long it will take to get better. The anxiety will actually slow your recovery.

Nuff said. I am repeating myself.

My best to you.