These quotes from "specialists" discounting mtbi are really surprising!

Dr. Michael McCrea, as Mark points out, is a PhD not a MD. His work focuses on sports a lot, so the role of psychology is really central.

The rehab center is also probably run by OT or PT, and they want to focus on strategies to help with daily accommodation.

Whether it is bias or blind spots or gaps in their knowledge, I am shocked that they are so categorically dismissive.

My neuro-ophthalmologist was very kind in underscoring that many specialists and doctors want to emphasize the "psychological" when they encounter difficult or a-typical recoveries.

With mild, traumatic brain injuries the injuries are "invisible" but create so many debilitating symptoms.

The truth is vision and vestibular functions are central to our body's orientation. If these vital systems are impaired, it is natural to feel off center. This isn't driven by psychology but by physiology, even if there are psychological aspects.

I've not been depressed in the clinical sense (I have too many friends who are therapists)-but I am more anxious to try to figure out my recovery when so little is known.

I think when specialists dismiss mtbi they reveal more about their limited understanding than anything else!

I was really annoyed yesterday by this report and the interview with the person who gave me the report. I really feel some days more than others that no one realizes what our lives are like.

I also find there are a lot of people who know nothing about post traumatic vision syndrome and all of its components.

Thank you for your support as always it is really nice to know other know what I am going through.... sometimes you just question whether you have things right.

Norma

The sad thing is this guy recently received monies, like 1.9 million, for studies on the military projects for our troops suffering from their injuries.

Of course we have Depression, we are going through loads of changes we have problems with.

However, that cannot discount our PHYSICAL problems.

Mark pegged it, as usual.

I agree with Mark and Mokey.

We need to let go of other people's label of what's "wrong" with us, whenever possible. Who needs it, really? Does knowing what exact strain of virus you have make you any less sick? In the same way, let go of what doesn't sit "true" to you and focus on minimizing symptoms, and using work-arounds for the lingering symptoms.

I liken it to "dumping the cache" of what the latest professional has said that filled my head with self doubt.

I was there when I hit my head to pavement. They weren't. I suffered a brain injury. They didn't. Nearly 8 months later I'm still feeling its effects. No one can take that and minimize it. It is my truth.

I will use "them" (professional supports) when they are useful to me. Otherwise I dump their nonsense from my brain. Particularly if their opinion does not affect your return to work or your insurance coverage, then it has little impact and is worthless.

I refuse to believe that we PCS'ers suffer depression or anxiety due to emotional reaction or adjustment to the injury, as many professionals lead us to believe or insist to be true. I firmly believe that those symptoms are physiological, directly linked to tissue damage, and we are left to cope with them. Either way, we are left to cope. So who's "right" doesn't exactly matter and is currently impossible to prove.

I can't wait for the day (and it will come) that the dark ages of brain injury are over. I may be in my nineties (if God wills it) when the diagnostic tools are finally sophisticated enough to detect and "prove" what we've all experienced.

Until then, validated or not, I must cope and discipline my thoughts.

Oh. I also meant to say that I don't believe it's limited understanding at is the cause of broad false statements about brain injury.

FWIW, I think it comes down to money. The more doubt cast on good research that shows even one concussion can have a lasting effect on the brain, the fewer insurance payouts or legal settlements or changes to major money making enterprises such as professional sports.

I don't believe all of the doubts cast are intentional. Some ppl really are working with outdated information. But those who quote "new" information that minimizes brain injury and projects blame onto the patient (the mental health angle) may be aligning themselves with a researcher who was paid handsomely to cast doubt and minimize cost to an interested entity. Military likely can't afford rehab for all the concussions, too busy buying guns. Sports can't afford the truth to come out. Truth costs. JMO!

Very well said. One of my biggest struggles is organizing thoughts and words. What you wrote above is very helpful.
Su seb

I find this topic interesting, because I think the opposite. I firmly believe that the psycological factors of PCS heighten the physiological symptoms, and vice versa. I am uncertain if you are fully healed at 3 months, but the vast majority of healing happens early on.

Getting stress and anxiety under control is crucial for recovery. In my case an antidepressant combined with isolating myself from others (including my family) pushed me forward and into recovery

Before this I had a dreadful migraine, light and noise sensitivity, insomnia etc. The turning point was being prescribed the right medication resting, relaxing and de-stressing.

My psychologist was correct in stating that my mood and anxiety was increasing my physiological symptoms. Why else did they all reduce when I was prescribed an SNRI?