Hi folks,
First post, just joined this forum tonight.
My Hx- a few (ok numerous) sports concussions finally leading to one which had me off work for about 10 months. That was 4 years ago. I am back to full work and modified recreational activities. Still get some physical symptoms but that's not the reason for my post.
I can't seem to discuss emotions/feelings with my partner. Apparently I am blank most of the time and she can't read my emotions, so she tries to solicit them verbally. It gets me very stressed out and I don't want to talk about them then inevitably I end up creating an argument. Do others experience this? I feel better that I'm finally aware of it. I wrote a poem tonight, I never write poems. Maybe only the 3-4 you are forced to do through the public school years. But the process helped me put into words for my wife how I feel. I don't know that I could have articulated it any other way.

Anyways here is the poem, I didn't post it in the artsy thread as it is specific to post concussion.

If there is anyone out there who feels they are struggling with these same issues it would be interesting to hear from you.

Emotions trapped
Within a pure deep heart
Rebuffing the entreaty
To disclose

Shutting out
Those closest and most cherished
Leaving all
Broken and abandoned

Eluding the bidding
Of colloquy
Refusing the acknowledgment
Of reason

When did it become thus?
Why must it be so?

Attempts to liberate
Initiate betrayal
From within

Heart betrayed by the tongue
Words fashioned without basis
Pointed and poisoned
Daggers of misery

Leading to pain
Woefully candid
The tongue feigns black
While the heart entombs the white

HeadFirstHockey,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Flat emotional affect is common to PCS. You can learn responses to make up for the lack of naturally occurring responses. It ends up being sort of mechanical but it is better than being unresponsive. Sometimes, these learned emotional responses trigger the brain into proper emotional responses.

It might help if you could find a brain injury support group that has a spouse/caregiver sub-group. She could learn how others deal with flat emotional affect and get support from them.

Sorry, I could not read your poem. The centered text made it so I could not follow it from one line to the next.

What other symptoms are you struggling with ?

My best to you.