Hi freezer,

First, I'm glad that apart from the depression, you've been recovering well - that's great news.

In my city, there is a reputable TBI clinic with a medical team on hand to assist people who have had concussions. One staff member is a neuropsychiatrist that I considered seeing when I was having depressive/anxious spikes (especially early on in my recovery). My concussion specialist actually referred me to them, but I ended up cancelling the appointment when I started doing better (they were booked for several months, so a lot of time passed before the appointment arrived).

My specialist, who is very knowledgeable, said that depression can be a significant symptom of concussions, and that we now know that depression can be caused by the concussion itself. He recommended seeing the neuropsychiatrist if the depression was a significant issue, but said I could take a wait-and-see approach if the depression was very minor, fleeting or clearly manageable.

In my case, I decided that the brief episodes of relatively low-level depression I was experiencing were manageable without meds, so I took a wait-and-see approach. I now feel essentially depression-free (at 6.5 months PCS), although I am still recovering overall and am only gradually adding activities and exertion.

However, I would note that depression is a tricky phenomenon and can sneak up on you - our perception of how we're doing can be skewed by the depressive state itself. I think it's a good idea to meet with someone, if only so that you have a specialist lined up to meet with right away should it become necessary.