Thanks so much for hearing me out - my friends and family are I think tired of hearing me talk about my injury & symptoms.

Nope, no antidepressants yet. I hit my forehead on a glass wall while I was looking down at my phone. No loss of consciousness. I felt lightheaded/dizzy afterwards but didn't think anything of it. The next day, I woke up with a headache and nauseas feeling the next day and before I knew it I was vomiting every ten minutes. Thought I had a stomach virus or something but to my doctor let me know that my head injury had actually been a concussion. I had insomnia, constant headaches, fatigue, ear aches, ringing in ear the first two weeks and then I was feeling a bit better so I went to go see a movie with friends- huge mistake. I totally relapsed and have had headaches again, so now I'm taking it easy.

Something I noticed two weeks after my injury was the depression that had begun to sink in. Slowly everyday I was feeling less and less of anything- no sadness, no happiness, etc. I can laugh at jokes and participate in conversations, meet with friends but I don't feel pleasure. It's very difficult for me to describe- I guess I don't have that physical feeling of warmth or anything for that matter. I feel no compassion either- it is the oddest feeling. Before my concussion, the smallest things would set me off emotionally- a scene in a movie, homeless person on the street, etc. now I feel like a zombie. I guess this could be because I hit my frontal lobe and I'm honestly just praying I feel better.

I went to see a neurologist the first week of my injury and he took it very lightly, almost in a condescending manner. He told me I'll be fine in no time and to just rest and eat properly, etc.- basically things I could easily have found out online. My doctor was worse- he brushed me off completely. He prescribed me hydrocodone/vicadin the first week of my injury for my headaches which I REALLY regret taking- I found out recently that opiate drugs are not good to take for head injuries.

I scheduled an appointment with a therapist for next week for the depression issue. I was hoping to find a neuropsychologist but they're all so busy or don't accept my insurance. I wanted to get a complete evaluation done because I'm just so stressed out (or at least as stressed out as I possibly could be given my weird apathetic state of mind).

As for nutrition, I looked at the Vitamins sticky and will be starting that regimen soon. For now I had only been taking a multivitamin Centrum pill everyday and had cut out caffeine.

Thanks again everyone for hearing me- this is the loneliest I have ever felt.

This is completely normal following concussions. The first 3 months were the worst for me. There isn't much a Doctor can do except monitor your progress and perform cognitive, balance, and physical therapy if you need it. Your best bet for the depression symptoms is the therapist. I saw a therapist for a year following my concussion and it has improved my life for the better. He/she will help you develop strong coping skills and will provide a source for you to vent these overwhelming emotions that come with being hurt, such as the personality changes and the social isolation. My physiatrist considered antidepressants in low doses for me, but I chose to remain drug free. Time, good sleep patterns, healthy eating, and good thoughts are the best things for recovery. Its hard for others to understand that you are injured because their is not a scar or a cast. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Ride it out, it will be tough, but it wont last forever.

I have had the flat, empty feeling. A nothingness feelong in the centre of the brain. Hard to describe. Smile takes more work (i think it may be related to cranial nerve damage!), i do not feel the highs and lows of empotions the way I used too. Flat indeed. I hope this can be recovered, because I loved those intense feelings!

Would something like dream therapy help you? Maybe that would be an alternative to medication, to ask your doctor about.

One article I found:
How to Tame your Nightmares
Therapies Teach Sleepers to Change the Ending of Their Dreams—or Even Take Flight
But there are many, do a search for lucid dreaming and rehearsal therapy.

No shame in meds!
 

I'm so sorry are going through this. I can sort of relate in that my husband has complained that I lost my ability to empathize. I am now regaining it back. Part of that was me protecting myself from feeling the emotions of others, because I could barely stand to feel my own emotions, as they exacerbated my symptoms in the first several months. So maybe this is your body Protecting itself!

I also dealt with a pretty severe bout of depression. As soon as I started feeling really terrible, I went to my doctor and got on an antidepressant. I already knew What I was going to take, because I had a serious depression before I ever had A head injury and had gone through the trial and error process of finding the right one. About a month after starting the antidepressant, I felt like myself again. I will eventually stop taking antidepressants if I can, but I know many people who need to take them for the rest of their lives. There's No shame in it. It's not a personal Failing. It is an illness that can be fatal if not treated. Medication isn't always the right choice, but it can be a life-saving one. It may take a little time and experimentation to figure out the best choice for you. First things first, I would get a new primary care physician. You need someone on your side! Good luck to you!

Concussion and emotions
 

good morning

In January 2012 i experienced a slip on ice and severely banged the back of my head. Got the dizziness, light headiness, head aches etc. Went to hospital and said I had a `miid ` concussion.Was not feeling all that great afterwards and then experienced lack of sleep. It was that way for months until the Fall when i started experiencing more symptoms like irritability, mood swings and lower energy levels and dramatically reduced sex drive.
in december 2012 i went to my family Doctor and she suggested an anti - depressant for treatment. I am a bit of a naturopath so i balked. Instead I went to a reputable person who practices working with the fascial system and said he could help. i went for several visits until late April and because of my schedule etc etc (you know!!) i have not returned.
I have since become more irritable, more impatient, less tolerant etc etc.
And to top it off, I lost my connection with the love of my life and told him we are not working and no longer fit.I seem to have a great deal of trouble articulating, coping with stress etc.
I have been good at masking this from most people as I put on my happy and confident face, but things are changing and I think I am in trouble .


i would so welcome any feedback.

Thank you

Hi MJC1864 :)
I moved the 2nd post you made on this thread to it's own thread, so as to let members respond to you there rather than on this other member's thread....here is the link to your thread so you can check for replies
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread190403.html

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate it. I miss feeling the highs and lows of life, enjoying music, praying to God from the depths of my soul, empathizing with people, feeling the pleasure of laughter, etc. I can't believe one wrong step of mine could cause me so much damage. I find myself crying almost every morning unable to even get out of bed...I know that's terrible and probably adds to my symptoms but it feels like I have no control anymore over myself. When I do feel something, it's always just negativity and gloom, always about myself. I just wish I could wake up from this nightmare.

You experienced the "flat" feeling your first three months? Were you ever able to feel happy in that period? I can't even when I try. Where did you get hit?

for my input as i concussed from the lower, back of head.
i was actually pretty happy and upbeat for about 10 months and then BOOM!