swift,

You are definitely stressed out. Anxiety is the most severe stage of stress. Being 'so scared' is the extreme point of anxiety.

You should be taking time off for quiet rest. There is no way to recover without quiet rest. No drinking, no partying, no exercise, and minimal work.

You sound like a Type A personality. You need to be in control. This is counter to recovery from a concussion. You need to find a way to relax and let your mind let go. I would not be surprised you use alcohol to achieve this state in the past. No more alcohol.

You should find a doctor with experience with concussions to direct you to help. You need this help. ER's are not much help except to rule out life threatening issues. An Urgent Care clinic may help.

Let us know more about your symptoms. There is good help here.

My best to you.

Thanks Mark. I'm not sure what you mean by this:

I went to the Urgent Care following my small spill and was cleared and deemed fine. The only reason I consumed alcohol that night is because I was drinking socially at an Alumni event and the doctors told me this was fine as I had passed every test they gave. I do not use alcohol regularly and certainly do not need alcohol to relax and let my mind go.

Thanks for your help. Is recovery still possible if you continue cognitive activity? I really do not have a choice but to continue working, but I guess my question is does cognitive activity actually RESTRICT recovery permanently?

I was in the club of "I have no choice but to continue working." Well, let me tell you, you DO have a choice, and your concussion may get you to realize it by force.

Best case scenario, cognitive work will delay your recovery. Worst case scenario, cognitive overwork will make your symptoms worse. This is what happened to me. I ended up being off work for an entire semester (I was a teacher) and still have not been able to go back full time yet.