I'm going on 21 months here after the concussion I sustained. Luckily, I was properly diagnosed with a concussion from the beginning. Unfortunately, I also had a rare complication called IICP (Increased Intracranial Pressure) that seriously prolonged my recovery and may have actually damaged my brain worse than the initial concussion (although there is no way to quantify that theory.)

I didn't really start to improve until the IICP was relieved six months after the concussion - before then, I got much worse.

It's been a slow and long process. I still struggle mentally and physically every day and I was a very productive, over-achieving and active individual who also relied on both my mental and physical faculties for my career and general well-being.

I had several months of speech therapy that helped improve my speech and cognitive functioning. I also had several months of physical therapy that helped reduce the pain I was in. I was in an auto accident and the accident gave me the concussion which caused the IICP and bulging disks in my neck and exacerbated some shoulder pain that I had years before but was completely under control for years before the accident.

I continue to improve - so I try to focus on that. My boyfriend will remind me that I haven't experienced any plateaus yet during my recovery, so that is really something to be grateful for and it's a clear indication that I will continue to improve.

I have better days emotionally when I'm not over-fatigued; so I really try hard not to over-do it. I try to pay attention to my body when it says I need to rest. I used to be very active, so this is still difficult for me to do. But I feel better when I do. I try to recognize when I might be getting overstimulated and I try to remove myself from whatever the source is so I can let my brain rest.

I am the kind of person that likes to be productive. So watching TV doesn't really make me feel good about myself. I try to do little projects, like sewing and coloring, so I can see results of my time spent resting. Resting doesn't have to mean laying down on a bed in the quiet when it's dark. It can just mean allowing my brain to not be over-stimulated.

I also find great help by speaking to a therapist weekly. I never understood how helpful that could be - I never really needed it before this accident. So, it's made a world of difference and I highly recommend finding a therapist that you trust to help you deal with the depression, anger and frustration. It's not easy.

Also, try to work on accepting that this has happened to you. It will help you to move forward in your life. That's what I'm trying to do...

And be compassionate and patient with yourself. You've undergone a major trauma and you need adequate time to understand what the results of that trauma are and to accept it. You need to go through the emotional pain in order to get through it - does that make sense? It's completely natural.

And I find comfort in calming my brain and resting it through mantra meditation. There are many kinds of meditation though - and mantra meditation might not be the right kind for everyone recovering from a brain injury - especially those who experience mental "loops" - I don't suffer from those so I can turn the mantra off when I'm done, but people who experience "loops" might have a lot of trouble doing that.