I have been spending a lot less time on Neurotalk these days, and this might be one of my last posts, but I have to say that I am doing significantly better. I'm hoping that some things on this list might help others along a similar path of acceptance. I realize that I can do about everything I was able to do before the accident, but with work-arounds and a moderated life. I am very excited about my life and my future!

1. I am now seeing a neuropsychologist and this has made all the difference for me. For the most part, a huge number of my symptoms were anxiety and depression related. I am being treated for both, and this has made a very big difference in my life. I would highly recommend getting evaluated for depression/anxiety if you believe that much of your suffering is caused by either of these. They indeed are symptoms of a head injury--but make up part of the complex soup of symptoms and if untreated make the neurological symptoms much worse.

2. Through working with our HR department and my immediate supervisor a neurologist and my neuropsych, in tandem with a lot of testing, we have worked out a "gradual return to full-time work" schedule here at my workplace. I enjoy my career, but realize that in the future the expectations for me will be different. The expectations for MYSELF are different now. The NPA was proof in the pudding that I sustained damage.

3. My vision was altered by this concussion, and I had my vision checked. Seems as though some of the anxiety I was experiencing is probably vision related, as new prescription glasses have made a great deal of difference for me. I now have a great deal more depth perception, which was probably the thing bothering me the most.

4. I am accepting my new self and actually like him pretty well! More mellow and for the first time in my life I actually stick up for myself and am not such a people pleaser.

5. One of the suggestions was to really concentrate on getting better sleeps. Now that I have the anxiety under control, sleep is a lot better.

I am by no means the same person as I was before the accident, but that is really OK with me at this point. I was literally going insane trying to find that person--who is long gone. We all change anyway, you know, without a concussion?

I want to thank Mark in Idaho specifically for helping me along this path. This guy is amazing, smart and compassionate. We are so lucky to have him on this forum. So, anyway, the long and short of it is this. I realize I will never, ever be the guy I was before March 7, 2015 at about 1:50pm. And in many ways, that is the most important step toward recovery for me.

Life is still very, very good, and I am blessed.