Ed,

I've struggled with this question a lot since my accident. I can relate to you. We are a group that has plenty of time to think since our activities are so limited.

I found this and I keep reading it over and over.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." Joseph Campbell

I feel parts of me are forever changed. However, I can look back six months, three months, and see little parts of me coming back.

It's a longgggggggg process. It's the emotional equivalent of a twisty loop de loop roller coaster for me. Every day is different for me.

My neuropsychologist, which is great, advised me to get a hobby that doesn't highlight any of my disabilities. Huge help since I don't read, no tv, no movies, no music, no games. I do love looking at pictures. And reading here helps me cope but makes me sick.

I have no magic answer, but hope you find your peace, maybe a hobby, someone to email daily.

Peace, Jace

this is one of my symptoms: depersonalization, its really scary, does this symptom
resolve?

ED

Living Daze,

You are right, PCS is like being lost in the woods and then you recognise a path that you know and you start to come out of it. The trouble is it is a very long, often painful and tiring path, full of ups and downs.

As you go along the path, things about yourself and those who are close to you come back, and senses, activities, skills and understanding that you were once familiar with return to you.

Before you know it you eventually know that you are going to find your way and recover.

i saw something on line about hydrberic chambers, do u know if this helps or cures PCS?


Ed

sorry hyperbaric chamber

ED,

Most of the recovery from concussion that does not happen spontaneously and during the first few weeks requires the patient to learn to reduce stress. Constantly questioning the future is highly stressful. The only thing you can do about the future is to be patient and live a low stress life today.

If I wrote about every time I experience a PCS symptoms each and every day, I would never get free of that stress load.

We all need to find low stress activities to do to distract ourselves. We need enough activity to occupy our time and cause blood flow to our brains. We do not need activity that pushes our system and causes us to be reminded of our PCS because symptoms keep manifesting.

Some symptoms will be with us almost 24/7. Head aches, memory issues, over-stimulation, and dizziness are probably the most common. We do what we can to treat the head aches and accept that head ache treatment is not 100%. We use memory work-arounds and try to not take on projects that over-tax our memory system. We avoid sensory over-stimulation by using ear plugs, avoiding over-stimulating environments, and when over-stimulated, we take a break. If we can find treatment for the dizziness, we patiently allow the treatment to show benefits.

Some of us may be forced by financial and other circumstances to push in these areas. If so, we need to expect to have symptoms manifest. In the US, Americans with Disabilities Act provides workplace/job protections with reasonable accommodations. Understanding and accepting our current limitations helps us present our needs to our employer. If we are in denial about our symptoms, it will be hard to convince an employer to make accommodations for us.

I have experienced depersonalization. It is troubling and frustrating but by understanding what it is, we can continue on.

Think of it this way.
Someone goes to the doctor and says, "It hurts when I do this...."
The doctor responds, "Stop doing that."
The person responds "But I don't want to stop doing this."

What does the person expect the doctor to do ?

Just because one does not understand the connection between 'doing this' and "it hurts" does not mean denying that connection is acceptable.

Unfortunately, the U S population often struggles to connect cause and effect. They may have a bias that "the cause" cannot really be the cause in their mind. For example, research shows that most poverty is not caused by a lack of financial resources. Most poverty is caused by limits on or restrictions from opportunity. Give money to the poor and they stay poor with some nicer things. Provide them opportunities without burdensome restrictions on that opportunity and they tend to prosper. Giving money seems to be the easiest and quickest way to resolve poverty and more importantly the feeling of guilt by those who are not poor. Making opportunity accessible takes more effort and discipline and many of the non-poor will feel guilty as they see people struggle through the process toward success.

So, we need to stop denying our struggles and learn to work through them so we give our brains time to heal. No quick fix.

How are you doing?

Had a concussion from a car accident 4 months ago and can relate to all you are saying, for some reason my headaches are constant now, balance still off, confusion, memory problems, words coming out wrong, fatigue, depression... and I have thought is this how I'm always going to feel?

I also feel so detached from everyone.

Feel better...

im still battling headaches everyday, spacey feelings, lightheaded,
nausea from time to time and fatigue, anxiety and depression. its a battle
everyday, how r u?

ed

Just joining this discussion. Wanted to add that progress is lifelong. I am better than I was 3 months ago, but not healed yet. It is very slow, and there have been long periods of setbacks. Right now is one!
But I can see the pattern to have learned to be a bit more optimistic than before.
Having sad all that, there can be permanent deficits (visual, auditory, etc.) that one needs to accept and work around.
Good care and assessment is important so as to be able to be specific about therapies.
Hang in there. Take it hour by hour. You will come through this hell.

Hi Ed, hope you are feeling better today.

Last night I was thinking I have to stop fighting all this and go with the flow so to speak which is going to be very tough as I've always been such an active person, just walking the dog a short way, on flat ground, starts my headache up so then I get upset which doesn't help the headaches can last for 2 days straight, then subside a little then come back full force.

Went to see my PT a few days ago who had me walking backwards and I could not keep in a straight line and almost fell over, so frustrating and I feel as though I have dementia. I feel detached from everyone, weird spacey feelings.

It's so tough, I'm trying to relax about it all and know it's going to take time but I'm the kind of person who fights through things and wants to feel 100% NOW!

As my therapist told me, your brain has to heal, you cannot push it.

Hang in there, you are not alone