I am told I suffer from lack of spatial awareness or in english I don't seem able to recognise other peoples personal space

has any one else had this problem since their head injury sorry it is badly written but my brain seems to be having a holiday today

[iforget]

I have a lack of spatial awareness but it does not affect my ability to recognise other people's personal space - or at least not as I understand that... I actually always thought that was more about personal boundaries and getting too close to someone and making the other person feel uncomfortable....

For me it affects the way I move through the world - largely bumping into and off things. I find it hard to judge distance, size and speed and as a result will often try to move myself or an object through a space that is too small or I may think I am moving in a straight line towards something when in fact I am moving at an angle... I always find out when I bump into something or find I can't pass through a too small gap. I have walked into hedges or off pavements without realising I am off kilter. My husband and mother have learned to move around me if I am having a particularly wobbly day.

I don't drive because of this issue. I can't judge my movement and speed in relation to the speed and movement of others and it just isn't safe to be in control of a vehicle.

Interested to know how they 'diagnosed' this in you and what they have suggested to help resolve the issue?

[Kirk5w7 in reply to iforget]

Ihave the exact same problem and don't drive either it just wouldn't be safe and I'm sick of misjudging and walking into things or putting things down in the kitchen only to find they are then on the floor!!!! A good sense of humour helps though, have you tried a revolving door, amazing it's like a ride at the fun fair!!! Janet xxxx

[Hidden in reply to iforget]

I am on the patients panel and spoke to one of hour health care professionals and it came out in conversation after I was walked into her unintentionally I just mentioned I do it regularly after my TBI and I was as told that I had spatial awareness problems as a result of my TBI

[artangel]

Hi dillm2 yes... i have been told i have the same problem, keep bumping into walls furniture people cant judge distances very well since my accident. i also do the standing too close thing to other people without realizing i am doing it. Also seem to loose my balance when someone or something is coming towards me when i am standing still?

Sliding doors at supermarkets always set me off? LOL

[sospan]

Dillm2,

Don't worry we all have days like this. There are a lot of symptoms that overlap with a head injury.

It is quite common for people whom have suffered a brain injury to loose a number of "social graces" - talk too loud, go off on a tangent, fail to recognise emotion or may get overall personal by touching or getting to close. Is this what you are describing?

Or is it problems with bumping into things, knocking things over, feeling uneasy in open spaces or in supermarkets.?

Two years in the first one has improved quite a bit but the second one is still very much a daily problem

[Stardrop]

Are people just complaining that you get too close, or are you lurching into their space because you get too close to all objects, door jambs, furniture, kitchen sink etc? I've somehow managed to walk into a very wet bush when walking down the pavement, it just jumped out on me. Do you have lots of bruises?

I can really relate to artangel to loosing my balance when something comes toward me when I'm standing still, I think this is because I am usually lining myself up with something upright (door, tree, window) for balance and a moving object affects my concentration.

If not I was wondering if it was something to do with inhibitions and you haven't got the inbuilt ability that recognises that you are too close working properly. Perhaps you could try to remember (I know I'm asking a lot) 'arms reach' when you are near people.

[sospan]

If anyone reading this suffers from poor depth perception or balance problems I would recommend you have a look at having a vision assessment with a specialist.

The other thing to look into is having the "Epley Manoeuvre" which helps balance and dizziness. This a painless process where they lean you back quickly in a set position to realign the crystals in your ears. I had it and it improved my balance quite a lot

[Kirk5w7 in reply to sospan]

Yes, the Eply manoeuvre helped me but it only fixes vertigo not problems that are caused by damage to the balance area in the brain, I'm still awaiting a binocular field of vision test, but again I think that's only going to indicate how much of my peripheral vision is affected, just 18 months down the line, maybe one day xxxx Janet

[sospan in reply to Kirk5w7]

No problem, I find it seems to be a process of chipping away at each symptom one by one.

[Hidden in reply to sospan]

Hi I am finding the same nearly 50 years after the TBI I am slowly finding answers to the problem's caused by my injury

[bexx87]

Hi I have a problem with people getting in to my personal space which Ive only been protective of since my injury 13 years ago