depression and anxiety
 

For those of you who have had depression and anxiety with PCS - have any of you recovered from that?

I have it now. I didn't notice it at all until about 5 months after I hit my head when I started to become more clear in my thinking. It's like the unclear thinking had me not noticing my emotions and it's been a total inverse swing. The clearer I got, the more depressed and anxious I realized I felt.

The reason I ask, is, it seems to be getting worse not better. Shouldn't it be getting better?

I'm 8 months pcs. I've never had depression or anxiety before. I've always been very happy.

Depression has nothing to do with being happy. It is a physiological change in the brain from too much of anything. Excessive excitement over a sustained period can lead to depression. Think of it as similar to the crash we suffer from too much stimulation. The brain becomes overwhelmed with the positive or negative stress. Over an extended period, the neuro-chemical processes get tired and start getting overwhelmed with the toxic byproducts of the stress.

It is not a matter of character or lack of character, personal strength or any such idea as many people think, etc.

My only suggestion is to seek help from a medical professional, not just any doctor, but one with experience with depression and concussion.

I routinely suffered bouts of depression after my concussions, especially in my younger years. My heart goes out to you. I know how miserable they can be. I have suffered a variety of different types of depression. I have had the "stinkin' thinkin', I want to die depression."

I have also suffered the zombie like, vacant person and confused mind depression. This was when I finally found treatment. The psychiatrist gave me B-12 shots and got me onto good vitamin and supplement nutrition and I recovered in 8 weeks.

I have also had adverse reactions to meds that put me into a deep, dreadful depression within 24 hours of starting the new med.

So, please, seek out some professional help. You will be glad you did.

My best to you and Happy Thanksgiving.

Mark's reply is on the mark.
 

Stated perfectly Mark.

Thanks Mark. I'm very mindful of what I'm experiencing. I know it's not really related to my own created emotions but it's a chemical thing taking place in my body. That is very clear to me but it does impede my happiness.

I am just wondering if this is one of those things like the other many that goes away eventually. If so, i'll ride through it. If not, i'll go see someone about it. I'd really rather not have meds if it will go away in a few months on it's own.

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.

I think greenfrog has a good point. Seeing a professional for help now will be valuable. You can discuss what to do if this depression persists. You may learn so valuable skills and ways to better identify the level of depression.

One thing to keep in mind is that concussion can cause a flat affect. How flat affect fits with depression is hard to know. Understanding this issue may be helpful. I get very frustrated by the flat affect I experience.

My best to you.

Thanks guys. That was what I was looking for to help me think it through. It's not something that family wants to really sit and chat about. I'll go see my neurologist again as a start. thanks.

and yes, i've had that flat effect. It's not a great feeling.

Definetly had major depression and anxiety. Been seeing a therapist regularly since my accident to work through all the emotions related to the trauma and the recovery. Since i started Healing Touch, i did a major 360 and am the happiest i've been in my whole life. No more social anxiety, no more depressed days where i cant get out of bed or dont shower for 3 days. I am thinking positive every day and its made such a difference. This change happened a month ago at my 6 month mark. But the 6 months prior to that were miserable. Im only on 10mg celexa and then 75mg nortriptyline for the headaches....been on those doses since the summer. When i started healing touch, you cant take the smile off my face.

I've been depressed the past few days. It comes and goes. I wasn't like this last week. Seems like irritability has taken a back seat. Who knows when that will come back.

I'm not convinced we recover from it. Maybe it's just cyclical, but without a pattern.