Hi all,
I'm reaching out to inquire about everyone's interest in a concussion anxiety podcast. I'm looking to accumulate a guest list of people who have been through a concussion / TBI and are open to talking about their journey. Episodes of the podcast would consist in half-hour to one hour interviews about the traumatic event, the recovery process, solutions to anxiety and symptoms, or whatever you are willing to talk about.

I'm considering starting this due to my own TBI struggle that began about 5 years ago I don't want to detail my entire story here, but it suffices to say that I know concussion anxiety well. For some time, my life revolved around not hitting my head, and I've had more than my fair share of panic attacks when it happened. I avoided all possible sources of anxiety: running, socializing, etc. I grew self-conscious about my cognitive abilities, and I found myself living in the past: "Who would I be if this hadn't happened? What would pre-concussion me have done? Why me?" I've even made a post here about an event that happened to me.

I am dramatically better now. I hit my head pretty regularly and don't really care. Hitting my head isn't something that I experience like a normal person, but now I can let of all those fears. It doesn't have power over me anymore. I run, I go out ... I even joined a soccer team last year and started playing competitively again. If I run into a wall or bonk my head on a cupboard ... oh well. It's not going to stop my life.

I say all this to demonstrate that I can and want to talk about this. What I hope this podcast provides is hope and solutions to people. I want stories from people who have gone through something similar and did (or did not) come out the other side. I want this podcast to be a place where someone can go when they are in their darkest place w.r.t. to their concussion. If I had heard the voice of someone who shared my fears but found a solution, not just a antidote to anxiety but a positive overwhelming force, someone who found a way to LIVE in spite of their issue ... well, I think that would have been helpful at the very least.

So if anyone has any thoughts about this kind of podcast or would like to be a guest, please reach out. If you know anyone who sounds like a good fit as a guest, give them a shout too. You can comment here or send me an email (which I've put at the bottom). I've got a ton of experience with podcasting (about 2 years or so), so I'd take care of all the logistics; all you'd have to do is log on and have a conversation. You don't have to have SOLVED your concussion anxiety or symptoms (I'm not sure if they ever get completely solved anyways); I'm just looking to talk to people, whether they are in the midst of hell or found a way out.

Thanks for reading this, and looking forward to hearing from everybody.

Tyler
Email: tbaughcome@gmail.com