few people talking at once or a room of people
 

I am not sure but I think that when I'm talking with more than one person I'm tired out...I notice I start yawning. I don't have a problem understanding conversation, but I just feel weird. My head starts hurting, my neck. Example...dinner with my family - no problems keeping up talking with everyone. I remember in the early months, I would eat and leave the table. I'm sticking around longer..even doing the dishes with the kids, but not symptom free.

Anyone else feel like this still?? (I'm at 14 months)

I went to a friend's house the other day -- few people over 10 or so....and I felt awful after a few hours..but only talked to one person at a time.

Yes! I can only handle 1-2 people at a time, otherwise I am mentally worn out. Must be a sensory thing....frustrating as it limits my social opportunities outside of family. If I am around alot of people it is as though my brain just has to tune out all of the excess "noise". Frustrating!!

Same here. I can talk to only one at a time. If I have to concentrate on even 2 I get aches and dizziness like I am spacing out and drifiting. In the beginning I can't even talk to one person. Going on for 2.5 years. Most frustrating as Nolefan mentioned. Limits any Social and even family activities.

too much stimuli and I'm out. I do tend to get very tired, very quickly. I have started taking ear plugs with me when I go places. My husband understands I'm not ignoring him, I am trying to drown out some of the excess-and I wear sunglasses even more-too much sunlight...I feel like a vampire.

Oktoberfest has been a beast this year. The only way I have coped (hubby is a big fan) is with friends who understand what I'm going thru and ear plugs.

I have been putting up with this for about 15 years. Since three concussions ago. I struggle even with my ear plugs, sometimes.

Tonight, I went to Chili's with my wife before Brain Injury Support Group. The echos and one noisy young lady telling her friends and the whole restaurant that she was pregnant about did me in. In went the ear plugs.

At support group, you can watch as 4 to 8 pairs of eyes roll back while two or three or more go on and on about a subject with a bit of over-talking. Some participants are much more tolerant than others. It is funny to watch the reactions of some. One gal even stands up and glares at those over-talking each other. The moderator will step in when it gets out of hand but he can tell when the few interested parties are functional with their dialogue (trialogue, quadralogue)

btw, My wife gets great support at support group. She really enjoys connecting with other caregiving wives especially. She is taking on a mentoring older woman role since she has been living with varying degrees of my PCS for 31 years.

Yep. I am doing much better in a lot of ways, but I still get headaches after spending a long time in meetings at work with lots of people present and interacting.

I also got one the other day in a meeting where one person went on and on and on (rather angrily, so it was also emotionally stressful), and I have been exhausted ever since.

This concerns me greatly as a teacher since my typical work setting requires not only being in a room with a lot of people but also being responsible for most of what is going on. I'm very fortunate that my school is letting me work in a mostly one-to-one program this year.

wow...I never would have thought....Now it makes sense... I do get tired trying to follow a bunch of people talking at once. I guess I never thought too much about it. Thanks guys!!!

I just want to think that its not my brain that can't handle it.

I was in a noisy restaurant and I did fine thru it..but felt awful for 2 days afterwards.

I had a friend over chatting for 2 hours just now...and I feel ok...just wondering how that is going to pan out for me later -- but like I said it was ONE friend over. I have symptoms, but no worse than normal.

Is this why I can't tolerate tv for too long...is the constant conversations keeping up with -- not the bright tv screens etc.???

Do you just get tired and feel headache come on --or other symptoms? I get this weird feeling thru my body and sometimes my teeth start to tingle, jaw area, back of head hurts down my neck.

ONE more thing -- do you have any suggestions for me other than earplugs -- going to a family function on sunday for a few hours. ANY ideas? I can't really go for a walk as its going to be cold out this weekend (and might look too rude).

For the family event, can you ask ahead if there's a quiet place you can go if you start feeling overloaded? When I went to a family funeral, they also arranged not to have background music to reduce sensory input a bit. Other than that, I just took my pain meds preventively, excused myself when I got overwhelmed, and planned to have a few bad days afterwards.

did you have a few bad days afterwards?

My problem is I usually don't feel so overwhelmed (maybe I'm so happy to be out I just ignore all the symptoms??) I just suffer for days afterwards.