Hi all,
I have a psychiatric assessment today to establish what additional support I need to keep me going and keep me safe with post concussion syndrome impulsivity and forced inactivity to contend with on top of my pre-existing depression history - a potentially fatal combination as many of us on here are well aware. I found that emergency doctors dismissed my pcs symptoms initially because of my pre-existing conditions, dismissing it all as tension headaches and anxiety however much my fiance and I protested that these new symptoms, speech and memory issues and personality change bore no relation to any depression or anxiety symptoms I experienced. Thankfully the on duty nursing team were fantastic and acted as advocates for me to support what we were saying.
My GP doctor took control and I am now getting dual support for my neurological issues as well as the increasing mental and emotional issues.
I would advise anyone to accept emotional and psychiatric support if offered as everything links up, especially the longer it goes on. A benefit is also that the psych team can be your advocate in differentiating between existing depressive problems and the neurological problems resulting from the traumatic brain injury x

quick note to update on my psych assessment.
Saw a lovely doctor who took my long standing depression and anxiety symptom history. He had the neurologists report already and between us we sifted through pre-existing symptoms from those caused by my head injury. I was very impressed with his understanding and awareness of pcs.
He said that eighty per cent of my current condition is from the accident and subsequent pcs and the remaining twenty per cent is understandable depression and anxiety.
I found this to be a great comfort after prior arguments with previous docs who don't understand the complexities of tbi or pcs.
Waiting for mri results now but this dual neuro and psych approach at least makes me feel confident that whatever my future outcome I am being believed and supported for now x

mollymum,

Good for you that the psych recognized your PCS symptoms. I doubt the MRI will offer anything more unless it is a Diffusion Tensor Imaging MRI.

Your psych Doc did more than just about any other diagnostic procedure can do except for a Neuro Psych Assessment. An NPA would only diagnose the level of your cognitive dysfunctions. Rarely do NPA's result in a diagnosis of PCS even though the symptoms are all there.

What kind of doctor did you see to help sort through depression and PCS? I was diagnosed with depression 10 years ago and now I have PCS as well. I made my own list of symptoms and marked which ones were new, or had increased since the accident. Not sure who to show it to...

Thank you for any information you have.

Hi, I too filled out the symptom list and went through it with my family doctor, marking symptoms as pre and post accident. He scanned it into my medical records to save me having to try and explain them to other doctors or health professionals. He did the referral to the neurologist, who ordered the MRI and recommended a referral to psychiatric team for mental health support for the pre existing depression.
I'm in the UK so am very lucky that we have free healthcare. I guess I was also lucky to find a psychiatrist who also understands concussive injuries and tbi.
I would recommend following that route if it is available. Keep that symptom list with you for appointments and do not be afraid to protest if you feel that too much emphasis is being focussed on your depressive history. Psychiatric crisis team was great when I was in emergency room and has a dreadful doctor insisting that I was essentially mad rather than brain injured. They came in, assessed me and backed me up that the memory issues, communication problems, dizziness and personality change etc etc were not psychological but neurological.
Best wishes for the future,
Jo