depressed or pcs ?
 

I'm having a hard time deciding if I'm having post concussive syndrome which I still do have. I only know that because I have instances where I have head pains when I do certain things like coloring with my kids or listening to music that's too loud. Anyway I'm wondering if I'm depressed or if a concussion can cause depression. I'm asking because I feel like low motivation almost like I don't care it's a really weird feeling. I can't decide anymore if I'm tired from my concussion or if I'm tired from depression. I think I know when I'm tired from my concussion because I can't listen to music anymore or watch TV or hear noises and I feel very irritable and I just need a break. But this is like a different kind of fatigue and sometimes I get muscle aches all over. I guess my real question is can a concussion cause depression?

Many with PCS experience depression. The stress of inventing a new life can contribute to cause depression. Many don't realize how much stress is in much of the music we tend to listen to. The loudness and the subject of the lyrics can cause stress that contributes to depression. The lack of motivation is a sign. But, finding a good doc who doesn't just through pills at you is hard.

My vitamin regimen was prescribed to me by a doc who had diagnosed my depression. He was against drugs. But, for some, drugs are a life changer.

I hope you can find someone to help you.

Yea im.having a hard time talking anything, cause since my concussion I also have developed severe anxiety. Which is making it hard for me to take anything without being affraid.

I still have listless days and short bouts of depression and body ache from brain injury. Instead of wondering what you can take to help your injury you ought to be assessing your overall health and steps you can take to improve your diet and fitness level, think of it like you're getting in shape to climb a really big mountain or run a marathon (or both), the better your overall health the better your brain will heal.

Regardless of its cause, you may just address your situation as psychiatric and go for treatment. I myself have an appointment but I have to wait until May! But you may also consider pushing against emotions in some cases.

From what I've read and experienced so far, all three possibilities exist: normal emotional reactions; reactions to your situation forced upon you by PCS; and things at least partially caused directly by PCS.

There are several posters here including me that report psychiatric symptoms in which they don't seem themselves. With me, sometimes it almost seems I have two sets of emotions, one rather disturbed, not seeming to fit the current situation, or something I haven't felt for a long time, or something extreme. Anxiety is the worst but I get somewhat depressed too and sometimes even a kind of cross between the two.

I have also lost a lot: my work, my heavy exercise routine; and now I'm having trouble sleeping like I used to. It's possible I don't need the 6 to 8 hours right now, an unprecedented change. I'm also alone in a big house with some bad recent memories and cut off from family and friends. I'm pretty sure some of my negative emotions come this tough situation.
Sound familiar?

I've learned that our frontal cortex, frequently damaged by concussions, regulates the powerful emotions that originate in the so-called subcortical brain. I think my own discipline and self-control is often compromised when my brain gets overloaded etc. and this is why my anxiety can race out of control and I would guess why I get other disturbances. It could be why PCS people are often irritable, get stressed easily, are depressed etc.


I wish you the best . .

Thx for the reply. I'm just still having a hard time. I still get fatigued. I. Trying to see how to manage life and try and excersice too with out being too tired.

Maybe it is time to ask your doctor about an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety med. Celexa, Zoloft, and many others have helped people get free of the anxiety train so they can start to heal.

You should not be getting stuck in worry.

" Trying to see how to manage life and try and exercise too"

Why do you need to exercise ?

How much do you exercise ?

During recovery, mild exercise should be adequate.

I don't excersice. . But I feel like I've gained weight since my injury. So that's got me down :(. Something like 11 lbs in 7 mo. So that's a lot. I just get tired from the fatigue. That part sux. Some day after I've done too much like a few days in a row I get real n tired. This fatigue is no joke .. wish I could get my stamina back.

Weight loss or gain is 80% calorie intake and 20% calories burned by exercise. Exercise to building muscle mass causes more calories to be burned due to muscle burning more calories than fat. But, it takes a lot of exercise to burn off 500 calories of excessive eating.

I dropped 30 pounds and have kept it off by changing my eating habits. No more soda ( couple servings a week). I still have an occasional treat but in moderation. 2 cookies is enough to make my need for a sweet feel satisfied. I am as sedentary as a couch pillow but my weight stays off.

The struggle is the change in lifestyle to avoid stimulation means spending more time bored and near food sources.

The fatigue is more often from poor sleep than anything else. The brain does tire of cognitive effort more easily and will fatigue from stimulation. A small disruption in sleep can make these other factors much worse.

Sweet,

Of all the weird things that have happened I lost 20 lbs after my accident because my diet changed.

Pre accident I liked dessert with every meal, post accident I could look at pie and didn't care one bit if it was there.

For that to happen to me had to be a result of the blow to my head.

As far as anxiety goes....for me there is a definite difference post accident. I am far more susceptible to anxiety running me over now. I don't know why it happens but I can tell it is different than before and requires a great deal of vigilance of my thoughts.

The last two weeks I have been sleeping restless and anxious again and not knowing why. It occurred to me I have been reading a lot more political related material at bedtime so I curtailed a great deal of it in the evenings and I am back to better sleep. That never bugged me before.

I get irritated at times that I have to pay attention to so many things now in order to not upset my apple cart but I guess it isn't to big of a price tag to pay as some normalcy is reappearing again to my life.

My best to you,

Bud