Motivation, or the lack there-of
 

Because I can't figure out how to create a signature, (yes, I see and laugh at the irony), here's the quick overview.

I had my first concussion about 40 years ago. They've been coming ever since. 8 confirmed since 1987 including 2 severe ones. 4 of those have been since November of 2011. All told the count is probably in the 10-15 range with my guess being closer to 15. I played a lot of pickup football games (no pads or helmet) when I was a kid and I've been told stories that sound a lot like getting concussions during some of those games.

To the point.

Right now, I think my biggest problem is my inability to motivate myself. If I could find a way to motivate myself, I could start working on things that might help me get better. Like, better diet, exercise to name a couple.

Does anyone else have this kind of problem with motivation?

How did you over come it or what, if anything are you doing to help it?

Thanks.

I understand the struggle with motivation. Often it is made worse by depression. Treating the depression may help. For me, I must maintain my vitamins and supplements regimen or depression is very likely. Fortunately, my wife is around to remind me if I forget. I make up zip lock bags of my regimen in advance so I do not have to open 10 bottles each time. I just open a zip lock snack bag and take the contents.

One can also get plastic containers with 7 days of compartments. I find the zip lock bags work best for me. My wife uses the 7 day container.

btw, Go to User CP in the top left then click on edit signature.

I played SuperBetter to help me with motivation. They have a fancy website now at http://www.superbetter.com but I just did it on my own by assigning myself positive points for things that were good for me and negative points for things that were bad for me. I also had some friends play along and assign me "quests" to complete. You can see the log by browsing around my website (link in my signature).

This is a really common problem with TBI.

When I was first injured, I had to be prompted to do just about everything. Left on my own, I'd just sit and stare.

I do better now, but it's still a problem. I also have this weird thing where I sometimes just can't do something. For example, I have Christmas cards I just haven't opened. They're just sitting on my desk. When they aren't close to hand, I think, "This is silly. I've just got to open them" - but then I don't. My psychologist says this is typical TBI behaviour, but I haven't heard it from anybody else.

Anyway, back to volition. I found one thing that helped me was reducing the number of things I had to decide in the day. After my TBI, I became very indecisive and, confronted with choices, I'd feel overwhelmed and just shutdown.

To make my life easier, I eliminated and/or simplified some unnecessary decisions. So I don't spend hours unable to decide what to wear, I have two outfits: I wear one, while I wash the other.

It is a big problem. Staring happens a lot!

I did find some help with amantadine, which works on the dopamine neirotransmitter and helps with motivation apparently. I am less zombie like with amantadine. I take a minimum dose as I had insomnia with it (i should say worse insomnia :)
100 mg for me in the morning.

Hope you get some relief. This is not easy!!!!
Take care.

I thought it was me. I thought I was getting lazy on top of the injury. Sometimes I just give up because I can't focus or decide. I've felt so ashamed. Some days there is no motivation to do anything. It feels like trying to climb a mountain.

I understand the 'feeling ashamed' bit for sure.

Hang in there!

Before the accident, I was a type AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA personality. To find myself, suddenly, sedentary and unmotivated, is well, incomprehensible.

I will look into the drug Mokey mentioned. I wonder if it will interact with my other meds? I think the stuff I take for seizures adds mightily to my lethargy.

Wow!
 

Sit and stare.
Thinking "you're just getting lazy".
Things you just "can't" do
Just giving up because you can't focus or decide
Used to be type AAAAAAAAAAAAA (oh the stories I could tell ...) and now, just the opposite.

Yeah, I'm there.

I'm sure there is a "depression" component to it, but my current thought is that the "depression" is a result of the injuries. Years on various antidepressants with no real change and then being off them and feeling better tells me it's not a chemical imbalance thing, at least not for me.

I'll look into the amantadine, but I'll be surprised if my insurance covers it. Even if it does, the co-pay will probably be insane.

Eowyn (loved you in the books and movies .. ;) ) I'll check out that game, and your blog.

Mark, Ha! It's not me! I don't have that option in the user control panel. Is it sad I feel relieved about that? LOL!

Thanks all. I don't like the fact that so many people have this same problem, but at least now I know it's not just me and that there is a real reason for it.

Today seems to be a relatively good day. I'm thankful for that and am going to try to do something. What? Who knows. Let's hope I don't get a headache or frustrated trying to decide! LOL!

[QUOTE=MyNewReality;
I'm sure there is a "depression" component to it, but my current thought is that the "depression" is a result of the injuries. Years on various antidepressants with no real change and then being off them and feeling better tells me it's not a chemical imbalance thing, at least not for me.
[/QUOTE]

YES!!!!!!!!! Depression is just one of my TBI symptoms, not the cause of all the others. I have faced a lot of difficult circumstances in my life, but I NEVER had these issues before my MVA. It is all IN MY HEAD - but not the way ignorant doctors think. In fact, my injury has made me rethink the whole concept of "metal" illness.

People have to weigh the evidence, and make up their own minds, but I refuse to use SSRIs. There is NO study, not funded by the drug companies, that proves they work. In fact, the only large, independent study of their use in TBI patients, conducted at Toronto's Sunnybrooke hospital, indicates, AT BEST, that they are not effective.

Anecdotally, I don't find I'm any more depressed than brain boo boo patients, of my acquaintance, who are taking Zoloft, etc...