Emotionless 5 and a half years after concussion
 

Hi all this is my first post to the forum. As the title suggests, I had a concussion playing football in the Spring of 2009. I really don't remember anything about it other than the sky being orange once I came to but have no other memories from that day or the day after. Based on what the other players were saying I was clearly concussed and I was saying things that made no sense and I was very angry.

The football coach didn't send me to the trainer and I finished practice however stood on the sideline most of the time based on others accounts. I had trouble with academic for about a year after that and all of my friends say my personality changed. I haven't felt really any emotions since then. I don't really get happy, sad, stressed, worried, or anything.

I had surgery Friday on my arm and they put me on oxy as a pain killer and when I take it I feel alive again. I don't feel like a zombie and I actually get excited about things and feel things I haven't felt in so long. It was so so nice. Another thing is that I get ticked off so easily when people do the smallest things. I don't remember if I used to do that or not but I figured I'd mention it.

Is this just me or is this a legit problem. I want to feel emotion again. I don't want to feel like I don't care about anything. I tried mentioning this to my mother a couple of years ago that I didn't feel right anymore and she just told me well you seem right so I'm sure nothing is wrong. Are there others going through this and is there anything I can do to feel normal again?

Thanks

Welcome BishopRealTalk. :Wave-Hello:

BishopRealTalk

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Many of us deal with flat affect (no emotions). There is no treatment for it in my understanding. I have learned to 'go through the motions' of the event so at least others feel recognized.

I think my range of emotion has definitely been narrowed. That is something to grieve for sure. I know that it can seem like a permanent state but I wonder if narrow plasticity means that we can re-develop our emotional range.

I think I would avoid using drugs to attain that state. That opens up a whole other set of problems. You don't need painkiller addiction and on top of what you're already struggling with. Have you been seeing anyone for care therapy advice counseling etc.??

Take care

Mokey,

What do you mean by narrow plasticity ?

Sorry Mark! Typo....'neuro plasticity!' I think i was dictacting and it was autocorrect or something! I will edit now!

I know what you mean. It is quite strange how emotions motivate a lot of things we do.

Although I have experienced good days where I feel happier and have much more energy than usual, it is hard for me to experience emotions. When I say experience I mean both comprehend intellectually and feel physiologically.


Generally I don't have as much trouble experiencing joy, laughter and most positive feelings. However, romance and bittersweet butterfly in the stomach type moments don't always register with me.

It's very hard for me to connect with negative emotions, such as sadness and loss. I haven't experienced the lump in the throat sensation at all since my health issues began to develop. Just recently a former colleague of mine was killed in an awful accident that made headlines. I don't think I was able to experience any gut reaction to his death. So no tears or lump. Additionally, yesterday a long-time popular coworker of mine was fired. He was an all-around good guy that entertained the crew. I didn't experience any gut/physiological response to his firing either. Historically these were feelings I could experience in the past. I can clearly remember how I felt after 9/11, my father's death, etc., so I have experienced emotions like a normal person previously.

I find the lack of a gut response makes it much harder to recognize and appreciate the significant of many emotional events.

I'd also like to add that there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that the cerebellum (area of my brain that was injured) may play a role in some functions relating to affect/emotion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebel...tric_Disorders

This alone strongly suggests you are suffering from depression.

I would suggest you see a psychiatrist and explain how you feel normally and then on oxy, he should prescribe you an SSRI and go from there.
Also oxycontin releases endorphins and opiates, the same kind of stuff that gets released with exercise, so I am curious to know if you exercise?