6 months post last incident
 

So here I am, 6 months after my latest head bump. Mostly I'm doing pretty good. I don't drink alcohol, consume only a small amount of caffeine and monitor my sleep. I'm vigilant about paying attention to where my body is compared to my surroundings. I can almost pretend everything is okay.

Yet today I'm at work, in my kiosk at the mall, about to have a surprise panic attack because of the noise level. This sucks. It rarely hits me like this. I've gotten, by and large, accustomed to the noise level at work and I know the places I need to avoid. I keep with me all of my "tools" for when an attack threatens. This has hit me completely out of left field.

I just want to be normal again. And I know that I am in my new normal. I won't go to concerts or movies again because the loud noise and brights lights will bring on an attack. I have only attended church a handful of times because the pitch of the organ and of the singer will bring on an attack. I'm wary about doing anything to physical for fear of hitting my head again.

I hate this.

Now that you are more symptom free, it could be a good time to seek out a job that does not put you in a sensory overload zone. Have you ever sought out vocational counseling to see if you can identify and inventory your skills to see what other jobs you could try ?

That's a tough proposal. I like what I do. I'm in a Supervisory role, and beyond that I like the company I work for. On the flip side are my sensory problems that I encounter in this environment. So perhaps staying put isn't the smartest decision for my long-term mental stability. That's very tough.

I have never spoken to a vocational counselor. It would be interesting to see where they would place my ideal occupation. Perhaps I should seek that out, as well as go back to my regular therapist for a bit and try to talk thus through.

Hi Socks,

I too have had repeat concussions in a similar time frame. I also find it very very discouraging. It was originally hard to deal with the first recovery, but the repeated injuries undermine the outlook. You're not alone. Hang in there.

Julie