5-6 Concussions
 

Hey guys I am new to this site, I've played hockey since the age of 5 and middle linebacker during high school. I sustained 3 diagnosed concussions, one of which was a grade 4, and several others that were not diagnosed because I had other injuries that were more apparent. My latest one that I can think of came three years ago during a hockey game in which I was knocked unconscious for close to 5 minutes. I am now attending a University no longer playing any sports, however it is very difficult for me to concentrate in any of my classes for longer than 5-6 minutes at a time. My reading comprehension is nonexistent and shut down entirely when I become overwhelmed. The worst part of it all is the depression/mood swings. I can go from complete happiness to complete emptiness in a span of a few hours. Usually the most mood swings I have in a day is 3. But the depression absolutely kills me, I feel isolated and avoid people at all costs. I have to wake up every morning and put a smile on my face to keep my roommates from becoming too alarmed. I have seen a psychiatrist, psychologist, and now the doctor. They had me take a learning deficit test and believe I have ADHD symptoms, but the results aren't due back until the end of the week. The doctor told me today she was going to prescribe me a few medicines only to have me come in and tell me I may need to go see a neurologist. I need to find people who can help me cope with all of this and give me some pointers ANYTHING! THANK YOU.

Neurologists are great! I had one and she fixed most of my pain! My psychiratist told me to go to one too when I first saw him. She then figured out I had Occipital Neuralgia, which is pain in the two nerves in the back of your head. She also checked my reflexes, checked my eyes and my movements. She also gave me a cognitive test to see my thinking reaction times. Just like normally before my injury, I reacted pretty quickly, she was almost shocked! She did however notice that I was shaking a bit at times, and later concluded that I also have Post Concussion Syndrome and was getting better. At the end of the exam, I did however ask her, when am I going to be better? She gave me the right answer, she told she couldn't answer that, your recovery is in your hands she also told me. I do believe your psychiratist is right though, a neurologist is the first step and a good one too!

SlimJim,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Your history sounds familiar around here.

Your learning struggles are common to Post Concussion Syndrome. Seeing a neurologist will be good to rule out any serious problems but not likely helpful with your concussion symptoms. Most neuros are not very good at understanding the cognitive struggles of PCS.

You likely have never taken the time to let your brain try to heal. Adding college life stresses just makes it worse.

You need to lower your stress levels so you do not become overwhelmed. You brain is struggling to process the many stimulations common to college life and study. You can succeed but not likely at the normal college pace. You will benefit from seeking help from the college Disabilities Services Department. Getting some assistance with note taking and maybe some tutoring and extra time for test taking will be a big help.

It is really not possible to push through these struggles. Learning work-arounds and accommodations for your struggles is the most common way to move forward.

Please tell us more about your specific struggles. There are plenty of good people here.

My best to you.

Well yesterday was a serious meltdown in my life when the doctors dragged my situation out more when they said they needed more information.

-I walked around aimlessly for 5 hours, thinking I can't see these people anymore

Worst parts of my situation (I dont have headaches and I sleep fairly well)

-Maintaining relationships; friends have called me out on my stress/mood swings
-Mood Swings/Depression; Yesterday I went from a happy-miserable-mellow mood
-Concentration; I have none. Focusing in class has become nearly impossible. Interaction with other people. If they talk for too long (over 30 seconds to a minute) I tune out. Have difficulty expressing my own thoughts

Those seem to stick out the most. Ill explain more from my journal once it becomes a little more full.

Thanks guys

The mood swings are common and usually include violent outbursts of anger. Over-stimulation and other stressors are a leading cause of this roller coaster. Read my thread about 'Vitamin Supplements and Nutrition'. It lists some good online resources for you and your friends to check out.

The doctors responses are not uncommon. As I said, they are not usually very good at putting the whole picture together.

My best to you.

Hey guys,

I saw my therapist again who really tries to help but is it possible going to things like this could make it worse? The more I think about things (anything), the worse things become. I had a huge meltdown on Friday, more along the lines of anger episode that lasted for close to 3 hours. My therapist is a nice lady but seeing her makes me think I am crazy. It sounds like I should see a neurologist?

Well I watched one of the best documentaries for the topic on Netflix last night, "Head Games" I recommend it to anyone on here.

Thanks,

JB

What is the purpose of your therapy sessions?

Is she trained in the problems that come from concussions?

The purpose of the therapy is to help me air out any emotions/experiences I've had in the past week. I see her sometimes twice a week. I don't know what to think anymore. Sometimes I feel completely normal, and wonder why I am in there and wonder if anything is wrong because my parents don't believe anything I am telling them. She also reads a journal in which I write 2 entries a day, usually explaining my emotional state. So seeing her and having these battles with the parents, makes me wonder if I am overreacting, I am not sure anymore...

Maybe she is missing the behaviors you exhibit that are the result of your concussion history. Making 2 journal entries a day may be causing you to focus on how you feel and act as compared to what stimulations in your world are doing to you. There are many PCS triggers that cause us to have a tendency to odd behaviors.

Rather trying to explain how to respond to triggers, she should be helping you learn how to avoid triggers. She should also be helping you learn work-arounds to your PCS behaviors and limitations.

She needs to check out the links on my Vitamin Regimen thread. The You Tube and other links may help her understand you better.

But then, I am not a therapist so I may be dead wrong.

There is a warning about therapy at: www.headinjury.com
Here it is: http://www.headinjury.com/losself.htm "Psychotherapy is always painful. It involves dropping your mask and exposing your soul. Many times it is dangerous. Too often, therapists cling to their own masks and retreat into their own realities. Frequently, they are biased by their belief systems, and never really see you as a singular, unique human being. If you sense that your therapist is unwilling or unable to hear you and does not appear to appreciate you as a significant person, run as fast as you can. You are in very grave danger."

Be careful.

There is a great amount of info at that site, very informative.

Learn as much as you can without over doing it, and as Mark suggested, rest when you need to.

No she does care, I just don't think she understands my situation, neither do the other doctors. Most of this seems to be stemming from school currently, where I become easily overwhelmed and just shut down. Now it is just not school where the stress comes in, anything else that seems to be "too much." I told her yesterday if I was successful in school, and in other aspects of life I would probably make a lot of progress in my emotions. The inattentiveness and lack of focus are mountains that seem insurmountable. So I try to compensate by drinking a ton of caffeine which just increases my anxiety exponentially. I wake up every morning thinking I am going to have to drop out by the end of the semester and how I would never be able to forgive myself because of how much my mother has sacrificed to be here, it would devastate her. In my journal I've written as much as "No progress with doctors, time to move on and get on a plane and start a new life." Scary thing is I could see myself doing it eventually. Well thanks for everything so far guys!

slimjim,

STOP THE CAFFEINE. It is one of the worst things you can do for a concussed brain. Get caffeine free and alcohol free. Then, get plenty of quiet rest. This means limited cognitive and physical activity. Get a surf pole and go surf fishing. That is the limit of activity you should be involved with.

Your therapist may care but she sounds clueless. Maybe some training in CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you redirect thoughts.

I am still confused about what her objective is. Do you get stuck with anxiety from your experiences from the past week. Is this a "How did that make you feel ?" form of therapy?

As a PCS subject, I would expect the goal to be finding the trigger of such experiences. The concussed brain does strange things when under stress. CBT can help if done in the context of PCS.

My best to you.

Thank you Mark. It is going to be hard to cut that out. They keep saying medication will be coming soon but I am reluctant to even use that the way they have been dealing with my situation. I fear dropping out of school really is in the cards if I wasn't giving something for focus. They did give me a psych test to check for a learning disorder, which apparently is prevalent but they are checking to see how long it has been there, and if the concussions have exacerbated the problem.

Unless you stop the caffeine, how will you know which symptoms are from the concussion? Some have found ADD meds helpful but the research into ADD meds for concussions are inconclusive. Self medicating is always a risky behavior.

I expect you to have a rough time until you decide to become disciplined with your recovery efforts. The doctors can not cure you. Recover is always primarily a result of the injured's personal behavior.

It is like you are burning both ends of the candle against the middle.

Does your therapist have pcs or TBI specialty
 

I have been seeing one for about four months. She works with people with pcs. A lot of her advice has been ways to work within our capabilities. Instead of using journaling for documenting moods is more for getting things off your mind to relieve stress. Sometimes I struggled with getting something on my mind until it was solved. I would get the mood swings or irrational over things. If I will just open the journal and vent there it helps me to address things one thing at a time. You really need a therapist that has their specialty dealing with what we deal with.
Lists, timers, journaling, testing your limits, allowing yourself rest, reasonable expectations, pointing out progress, not giving in just learning the new you and making the most of it.
Hope this helps. Hang in there. God bless

While these last few days have been fairly good... Limiting caffeine. I'm still unable to focus. I have a midterm tomorrow that I was given a review sheet for last week and have not been able to sit still for 15 minutes and actually look over this thing. I've actually started smoking, more caffeine to try and help along with drinking as depression sits in. It really Is hard and I feel like these doctors couldn't care less. The one who said she would be in touch hasn't given me an official appointment when she said she would be in touch...school maybe not the best thing for me right now. :eek:

Self medication is not a good idea, whether it is caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine. If you are struggling with depression, seek out a doctor, preferably a neuro-psychiatrist. Don't wait for the recommendation. Reach out for a good doctor.