Struggling to recover from a concussion
 

Hey guys, a two months ago I suffered my second concussion in three years during soccer and this one was more damaging. Symptoms stayed for about three weeks and I have been struggling to get back on track. Before the concussion I was having some of the best weeks of my life. My gpa was a solid 3.83 and I was the tenth best player in the entire high school varsity league despite being just a sophomore. But this concussion destroyed my rhythm. It scrwed me over big time, i missied the first three weeks of the new semester and my grades are really down (teachers showed no mercy), soccer has been horrible, and for the first time I feel very depressed and suicidal. The latter scared me, as I was a really optimistic and outgoing person. But now I feel uninterested and sad, I feel very stupid, theres some sort of cloud over my thoughts. Critical thinking skills are really suffering and I just dont know what to do. Any comments? Thank U

Hello and welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups.

I'm sorry to read about your concussion and the difficult time you've been having since then.

Check out the
Traumatic Brain Injury & Post Concussion Syndrome Forum

You'll find you're not alone. At the top of that forum are the 'Sticky' threads. There is a wealth of information and a lot of useful resources in there that may help you with your recovery.

That's a really good way to describe what happens after a concussion, but you need to remember that you will get better from the way you're feeling right now. You'll get your rhythm back. It just takes time and it varies so much from one individual to another. Don't be too hard on yourself right now. It needs to be a time of rest and looking after yourself.

If you're having dark thoughts, it's really essential to tell your doctor or see a therapist - preferably one who is familiar with Post Concussion Syndrome and the many effects it can have including depression and anxiety.

take care of yourself!

Nice to meet you!!
 

Welcome,

I am sorry to hear you are struggling so. Post -concussive syndrome can really throw people for a loop but you WILL improve with time. You have a young brain which will greatly benefit your recovery. Things will not always be this way. The symptoms you have are not uncommon. They are part of the syndrome NOT part of you. Recognize them as a temporary thing and don't let them define you. Remember that the real you is under the surface and is going to come back. It is good that you are comfortable sharing that you feel so low right now. Have you shared this with your parents or guardians? Do you feel you are getting the support you need? Your school counselor, coach and nursing could be a good place to get some support at school and temporary accommodations if possible. Let your doctor know how this is affecting you emotionally and intellectually so you can get the help and recommendations you need to heal.

There is good information out there that resting the brain at this time helps recovery. Be kind to yourself and your brain. high impact graphics on video games or movies are exhausting to process. Think life in 8-16 bits right now.

There is a wonderful Ted Talk by Jane McGonigal called "The Game that can give you ten extra years of life". You can find it on YouTube. It is a frank discussion about her post concussive syndrome and recovery. She mentions feeling much the way you did and talks about finding her way out. She created the game "SuperBetter" during that time. Now she is back to being a vibrant, quirky and engaging game developer.

Come here when you need to vent, have questions or to share good or bad news. There is a lot of compassion and understanding here. Make yourself at home.

I am sending Healing Love and thoughts for a speedy recovery,
Littlepaw :hug:

Welcome theraelbetag. :Wave-Hello:

There are therapies available for the individual symptoms of P.C.S. that take a holistic approach as well as the straight forward remedies. As for the depression, get ******! You didn't achieve your status by phoning it in. Find someone you trust to be honest and up front about your emotional state and fight your way through the fogs, spins and emotional rollercoasters. I wish you the best of luck. Been there. I have double digit concussions, the latest 30 moths ago were almost fatal. If an old guy like me can shake it off enough to still do gigs I hope you can get through it

I'm in the same situation, except I'm in 9th grade and I'm going on my 2nd year with this concussion (I'm so, so sorry to hear about your situation). The first thing I would recommend is talking to your doctor about ritalin, which is a medicine used to "clear away the fog". I use it, and it's wonderful. Next, I would definitely try to meet with your school councilor and talk about the teacher situation. Councilors are great for this sort of thing. If he/she could explain your situation to your teachers, I'm sure it would help. As for feeling stupid, I'm currently feeling the same way. Just try to remember that this is only temporary and that you WILL get better. Anyways, I hope this helped<3

Sorry you are having rough patch.
Your brain has that thing it calls elasticity, look up re wiring your brain concussion on google. I lost cognitive and awareness, but I think it was because I was under pain for over a year without expert treatment.
don't underestimate the negative power that your negative thoughts will produce on you. Try to be positive, it could be much worse...:)

You are young, so your brain is so fantastic, that you can actually do a full recovery. Might want to shift your attention from football, into something else.
I think the teachers are right for no mercy , reason is, they are giving you the opportunity to become even better than you were before :).
I suggest to not blame the teachers, things happen anyway, so just try to do your thing to recover. everything else can wait, or you can try to do something else.
Extra virgin coconut oil and good quality fish/krill oil are awesome for your brain too.

I take Ginko biloba once in a while and i think it helps me too.

Good luck and stay strong!!!