[fkd5322]

For months before my accident I was having severe depression and going through so much stress from a break up with my first love and then I had the terrible luck of having a concussion. I was originally living in one state in a town where I had grown up and was home. After my girlfriend broke up with me my brother and dad, who had moved to California, told me to get away and go there with them. Well when I did the stress I had been going through was assuaged but not totally gone but things were better.


I've had a very different childhood or growing up period then other kids or young adults. When I was in middle school I always got super nervous when I would have to do presentations and give speeches in class and eventually I Started to run away from these fears by skipping class and when I got into high school the circumstances of me having to public speak were more often so I ended up dropping out of highschool because I was scared. Not because I'm a bad kid or anything. I'm such a conserved polite young man.

Most of my growing up years was spent alone or with my this girl who I had met and fallen in love with. Her and I spent everyday together and got along extremely well and it was amazing how much we believed we were in love with each other. When she broke up with me well I had nothing else. I wasn't doing anything else to progress in life. I wasn't working or going to school and I wasn't even thinking "oh man, I should get into school or start working because I need to become a productive individual". I wish I had thought that, maybe things would have turned out different.


So she broke up with me and I think one of the big reasons is she saw that I wasn't getting my life together in the ways I mentioned above and that having her and being with her was almost like a crutch, the only thing fulfilling me. So when I moved to California I had a concussion 4 months later. After I had the concussion I went home and told my dad I fell on my head and since we don't have insurance he just told me to try and rest it off. I was in bed for 3 days having the worst migraines. Then I finally went to the Emergency Room where I had an xray and found out that I did indeed have a concussion and that there was bleeding.

They prescribed me medicine, I believe it was Dexamethasone. Doctor told me to take it for a month and come back for a second Xray. I did that and while I was on that medicine that was a steroid in fact I began having Acne Breakouts like crazy. I never had too much acne, I've always been blessed with clear skin and was always glad about that but since I've took that medicine my skin has not returned to it's normal state. I have all these acne scars and every time I look in the mirror I see my skin and think "man... why did I have to fall, things didn't have to get this bad"

Another thing is that after I fell a month later my smell became distorted and now all I smell is strange odors. It's been two years and it hasn't returned back to normal. I feel like I'm a burn victim. You know how a burn victims would have scars to carry around that would back them feel like almostt ashamed or frustrated with the state of being that their in. I feel like I'm a head banger and that I'll never feel normal again. I can try and feel the closest I can to normal but until my smell returns and my skin goes back to normal I feel like I'll always be comparing myself to the state of being I was in before the accident when I was just closeer to normal and didn't have any serious medical issues like this...well just the depression.

I'm stressing out like a mad man. I'm literally obsession and dwelling over the past and going mad. I'm having panic attacks and it's really gotten to a point where it's not healthy to be like this. The other day however I've started to try and control these emotions but still feel despair and emptiness. I don't believe I can get back to being how I use to. I don't know what to do. Should I start taking anti depressants...I'm scared it'll give me acne again. I was on Remeron and felt better but then I flushed it because the side effects of medication doesn't make me feel comfortable with take them . I need someone to take care of me but it's just me here. My parents arn't around.

Sometimes I read things like this " my 17 year old daughter is now fully recovered after severe PCS. It took over 2 1/2 years and all kinds of treatments (Effexor, acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy) and she is now a fully functional high school junior looking forward to college and living a full, healthy life. This forum was a lifesaver for me during times of deepest despair. Hang in there. " or "I ran across this thread and thought I should throw in my two cents. If you, or anyone you know, has incurred a head injury and you/he/she is not recovering, I would encourage you to look into neurofeedback. You can just google it and find all kinds of information about it. If you live in a big city, you will probably have dozens of therapists in your town who specialize in this. If not, you can also do it remotely with specialists such as Dr. Victoria Ibric or Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler. My quick story is that I incurred 6 concussions while playing rugby in college. I have been doing neurofeedback for a couple of years to relieve symptoms and I have made great gains thus far. If you have any specific questions, just let me know.

How am I suppose to know what to try out to feel better from these mini head/brain pains? do I just try everything?

[hopefulmom]

Welcome,
I think your best bet is to tell us what your worst symptoms are now.

You might want to read the sticky about vitamins.

Prior to the concussion, it sounds as though anxiety was a real life changer, in a negative way. You might want to google the OCD Foundation. I am not a doctor but your prior fears and anxiety might be making your brain work too hard thus contributing to your PCS. The OCD foundation might be able to direct you to a therapist who could help you reduce/overcome your anxiety. There are services that are on a sliding scale if you don't have insurance.

Best,