I was hit by a drunk driver 2 years ago in July. I have healed up better than I even expected to but now 2 years later symptoms are returning.

I am getting headaches almost every day now and I am getting lightheaded..hard to explain, not really dizzy - kind of floaty?? If that makes any sense to anyone. Also i am having trouble with sentences again, nothing like a year ago but i am mixing up words - saying things in the wrong order. i am getting lost in places that I have been 100 times - having major problems with directions and finding things.

I have been under a lot of stress, I'm having sleep issues (that is not new), when I go up stairs that look like of off i don't know how to explain the stair thing like they blend together, like a haunted house???? My boyfriend is long distance and we are fighting so I'm upset a lot. My depression is back with a vengeance.

I don't have insurance so i can't see my neuro doc anymore. i was able to get accepted to a sliding scale (charity) medical clinic and I have an appointment today. It's a great place but most of the doc and NPs are volunteer so you never know who you are going to see and I don't know how educated they will be on head injuries.

Anyway, I guess I am asking if anyone else had symptoms return after 2 years. Is it from being way too overwhelmed with my life? Too much stress and pressure?? I don't think being upset all the time is helping either.

Thanks for any help

Andi

Hi Andi,

It sounds to me like your life is too stressful for your brain to be able to handle. Getting upset will introduce chemicals into your brain that are not conducive to its functioning efficiently.

Your brain is using new neuronal pathways that it had to create to replace the ones that were damaged and they just aren't as efficient as the ones you had before the accident. So even though you were feeling better for some time, once you start to stress your brain out a little more, it can't handle the new stressors as well as your brain could before the accident.

It's best for a recovered brain to continue to get as much quality sleep as possible, stick to a routine and decrease as much stress and emotional turmoil as well.

I think EsthersDoll has some good points. If things are stressful with your boyfriend, are there other things you can do to make the rest of your life simpler and more calming?

I agree Esters points were good. i am actually moving to California to be with my boyfriend in about 5 or 6 months. Unfortunately my life is very stressful and overwhelming and there is not much I can do about it. I'm a single mom with a 17 year old son.

Work is crazy and I seem to be ultra emotional, I just can't hold it together anymore. i would love to take a break from work but I can't. i was actually too dizzy to drive there today but luckily I can work from home sometimes.

I think once I get moved and settled things will level back out because when we are together my boyfriend is wonderful and super supportive but being 3000 miles away right now I don't have any support or help from anyone other than my son.

Hopefully the health clinic doc will be able to help me somehow. I'm on elavil for the headaches and depression but I'm only on 50mg which was doing the trick but now it's not working at all. maybe I can be upped to a higher dosage

It's so hard to have come so far and now to feel like I am slipping back into the abyss of brain trama...it seems like it will never really end.

What about some talk therapy to try to help reduce stress?

I realize you don't have any insurance but a lot of good therapists use a sliding scale to charge people and it might make a good difference in reducing your symptoms.

Also, meditation, qigong or yoga might help you to reduce your stress levels.

I'm in talk therapy through the charity clinic i go to and it's helping some but he is always way overbook and my work schedule is pretty tedious so ai don't really get to go often.

I got into some exercise classes but things keep coming up and I can't seem to get where I am going. Also I found a hoops class for 5 bucks a class but I keep getting lost trying to get there. Once I park and get out of the car It's like I am in another country.

I'm so frustrated and falling apart on my boyfriend and I know he doesn't understand and I can't think clearly enough to figure out why I am losing it so often. I just realized today that it could ALL be the head injury. it's like I jumped back a whole year and lost everything I gained.

I'm sure it will get better but it's frustrating now. I am so happy for this site. i hope on and off as i need support. Everyone here has always been great.

I completely understand your frustration!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this now.

Hopefully you can gain some comfort in the fact that you were so much better before recently so it will be possible for you to get that back!



I'm also hoping your 17 year old son could help pitch in a little more than usual since you're having some extra trouble.

andi,

From the age of your son, it appears you may be in your late 30's or so. At that age, your hormone may be heading into a roller coaster. My wife has a friend who needed hormone help at 37. Once she had her hormones in balance, she was much better at handling stress. She had all the same memory difficulties before she got help.

It will cost $500 or more to get good hormone testing plus $40 and up per month for the bio-identical hormones but it could change your life. Check out https://www.womensinternational.com/..._referral.html for a referral.

My best to you.