Therapies for Sensory Issues? Neurofeedback?
 

Hi all,

It's been close to a year since my first (major) injury, about 4 months since the last (smaller), and I'm grateful to have improved a lot in many ways.

Of all my symptoms, my problem with sensory overwhelm is the one that has not budged. I suspect it is because it was a pre-existing problem for me - but now it is x20.

I would say in a year, this has only improved 5-10%. Most of my cognitive issues have improved 75-80%.

Specifically: noise and chaos tolerance. fast and excited conversation, loud and especially chaotic noise, multiple noise and action, cannot think/talk if any other sound or movement is occurring nearby. I shut down, I cry, I feel assaulted, I freeze or just walk out. I have to force myself to have a daily conversation with my husband (who I love and with whom I've always had great open communication) and I often have no desire to talk. after about 20 minutes I'm done. I'm always quieting the kids, leaving the room, yelling at them for whining, hiding in my room - if noise has to be managed my husband does it.

Neurofeedback was suggested. Any thoughts? I am skeptical but could be open I suppose. But I"m not going to fork out money for something that doesn't work.

Are there any therapies for this?

I am doing the supplements. I definitely feel they have helped me sharpen up cognitively. I don't think they had any impact on this.

I can/do tolerate the new me in many ways. This issue continues to be very hard and I am not seeing any movement forward. My relationship with my children, loving husband, friends, and the world is dramatically changed. I feel broken in this regard, even though my brain is working more normally in terms of thinking clearly.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Julie

Overload
 

It has been 8 months for me. I keep ear plugs for days I realize I could become overwhelmed by noise/chaos. If I do this early enough the overload is not as bad. I know nothing about neuro feedback.

Thanks Karenmamo,

I should say, I have a lot of tricks for avoiding big situations and managing moderate ones (earplugs and such). However, even with a decent amount of quiet time alone in my day and attempts to control my environment, it's not enough. I need to know if there is anything else I can do to create improvements in me.

Thanks!
Julie

PS: And welcome to the forum!

Julie,

I live with the same issues. Like you, mine pre-existed my last concussion but were magnified by it. Like you, I have a long concussion history going back 50 years.

With your history, I'm not sure there is a treatment. Volitional neurofeedback may help if you can find a therapist who understands your struggles. There are many different neurotherapies labeled neurofeedback. Many are questionable in my and others experience.

As one who raised 2 girls and a boy, I understand the household struggles. Unfortunately, I don't give the kids much grace. Screaming and wining are not acceptable, regardless of your condition. They can learn to not exhibit these behaviors. One of the terms used is 'inside voice.'

Regarding your one on one with your husband. I think you are doing great to last 20 minutes in conversation. If I have a conversation like that, I will need a break and usually a nap.

When my neuro saw how my brain responds to sounds and then learned of my concussion history, he suggested that I had reached that point where my brain's ability to recover had been exhausted.

For many of us in this situation, we can still accomplish much and live full lives by moderating these stimulations and learning work-arounds. For me, if I am in a restaurant, I do best in a corner of the room. If I am in the middle of the room, there are too many sounds and voices coming from too many directions. You can probably discover similar ways to moderate your limitations.

If you have some specific situations, post them and I will try to relate how I deal with that situation.

My best to you.

some ear plugs?
 

My daughter is also sensitive to noises. She used ear plugs and they helped some but can be uncomfortable for long duration. These are the two that most musicians used and have decibels 12+:

Alpine Hearing Protection MusicSafe Classic Earplugs for Musicians
Etymotic Research ER20 ETY-Plugs Hearing Protection Earplugs

She tried the Bose headphones and the noise protection is better than the Etymotic Reasearch ER20, but they put pressure on her temples after a while.

Hope that helps!

Hey Julie,

I was born with sensory integration disorder, among other things. When I was a child I was taken to the hospital after long lasting panic attack following a harmless child's carnival ride. Now I treat that disorder and many other like it using Neurofeedback.

It's true that there are a lot of different kinds of NF and not all are created equal. Some are super well researched, and other are too new, but have much quicker results. I have used most types of NF, except for LENS. I have lots of opinions. The experience of your practitioner and knowing enough to choose a theory is important. I don't envy your situation, with all the options that you have ahead of you.

My solution was just to learn as much of everything as I could and be the expert on myself... then I made it my career.

joshuamoore,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Have you suffered a brain injury or just been living with your neuro disorder ?

Are you a NF therapist ?