I played soccer for about 20 years.. looking back, there is a good chance I had a few concussions but it NEVER had an effect on me like this one... I was normally fine within a few days and back at it...

Yep, same here. i am terrified of anyone hitting their head

Terrified...keep thinking if it happens again I'll be in a mental hospital blubbering, no joke.

Not good to think these thoughts but can't help it when driving with someone in a car.

We bought a sturdy car with side curtain airbags to reduce the risk of a head impact in a vehicle collision.

Sitke, i'll meet you there if i hit my head again. ironically, just after i posted my other comment, i talked to my sister who got a mild concussion surfing when a heavy wave crashed on her. nausea and fatigue for a few days.

and of course, as the big sister i now have another worry to add write on a post it and put it in a tuperware in my freezer. sounds like i've finally lost it, but that is an exercise my therapist gave me. i write "hitting my head" and "cancer" and "not getting better" almost every day.

at this point it might knock something back into place for me

sitke and others,

There is a big difference between having a mental illness/disorder and having cognitive challenges. Please do not associate the cognitive impairments from concussions/mTBI with mental illness. There are plenty here with cognitive impairments who work diligently to maintain sound mental health.

Unfortunately, at least in the beginning, the injury manifests with anxiety and depression in many cases. I don't think people are equating cognitive challenges with mental illness. I think they are equating head injury with the mental illnesses of anxiety and depression. I think that is a rational fear.

Also, losing feeling of one's old self can cause anxiety and depression. Again, not unwarranted.

I know this pulsating tinnitus is causing my anxiety issues. Everyone has a different threshold of what they can adapt to and how quickly they can adapt, without outside help.

We have little or no control over the cognitive challenges from a head injury but we do have ways we can deal with the anxiety and depression with meds and other therapies. That is what I meant by diligently working to maintain sound mental health. Yes, I need outside help to maintain my mental health.

Sitke's comment "Terrified...keep thinking if it happens again I'll be in a mental hospital blubbering, no joke." is taken to be in response to the cognitive challenges since they can cause one to sound like they are blubbering.

After being locked in solitary in a medical room for 2 nights next to someone having a psychiatric crisis and hearing what it was like for a family member that was locked up in a mental/psychiatric facility, I am very sensitive to how these issues are discussed.

We play a big part in how our anxiety and depression symptoms are treated.

Mark,

Some people are more anxious to begin with so having a head injury and residual problems for a long time, in some cases years, afterwards is obviously something that can raise the anxiety levels.

It's in my opinion no different from having cognitive issues post concussion. But that's just my view.

I really dislike the term "mental illness" as if it's a separate entity and not organic.

Genetics plays a huge part in how we manage life with or without anxiety or panic or depression or whatever it is. Unfortunately I can't go and get some sort of genetic modification.

The worse my vertigo the more anxious I am of falling again.

The better my vertigo the less anxious I am of falling again.

It's not unreasonable for people who have suffered after a fall to fear another fall. It's how we humans work.