This is probably the biggest thing I have done in my life. I'm new to Healthunlocked and this is the first time I have discussed my problems with anyone outside the world of medicine.
I found this site when I was researching for another medical condition (a chronic lung condition) now I've found Headway and I've been in floods of tears since.
My mother passed away recently, I was always very close to her and so when I lost her I lost my support system. I've now moved away from my family home. Suddenly thoughts and feelings and worries I've been suppressing have reappeared and reading through your stories I feel it's time to open up, as anonymously as I can.
5 years ago I suffered a brain injury as a result of a rape and gbh. Since then I have struggled with memory loss, fatigue, insomnia, lack of coordination, facial disfigurement, muscle damage, anxiety and social anxiety.
I'm really overwhelmed at sharing this, I cant decide if I'm ready to click post and if I do if I will delete my profile immediately.
This is something I dont face in my day to day life and I have never openly discussed, so I'm shaking at the thought of sharing.
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walkingtalking2
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I’m sorry to hear about your story it is horrific.. you’ll find people here on Headway’s HealthUnlocked forum very friendly & will treat you in a friendly manner, it has put myself in a better place and I feel I can open up here without judgment..
Firstly, as has been said before- but I will again.... Welcome, to our 'Friendly' Group.
Yes as you say, 'Someone Hurt You, in an awful way. Nothing I, or anyone, can 'say' on here can Undo that Wrong- I'm sorry about that. What I, and others on here, CAN do is offer you a Caring, and Listening, ear. We are 'Friends', on here, we will NOT deliberately UPSET you, we will not IGNORE you. We will not JUDGE you.... We Will ACCCEPT, CARE and SUPPORT you, if you will Trust us walkingtalking2- and that is a PROMISE.
Simply by 'coming', on here, you have taken a Very Big Step forward, you Brave girl. All of us both Respect you and Understand, just how hard, this has been for you.
As has been said before, not least by me, you are Very Welcome and amongst Friends. We would Love to hear, from you further, but In Your Own Time- there is no rush, at all.
You're safe here my dear. When I joined 7 years ago I typed my post and immediately thought "What am I doing ?" ………....seven years later I still come here every day for reassurance, support and friendship.
This is my safe place ; somewhere I can be ME amongst likeminded, good people who know the challenges of living with brain injury, and who I trust with my personal thoughts and feelings. I'm so sorry you've lost your mum ; losing mine was the biggest loss I've ever known.
I hope you'll feel you can open up in your own time m'dear. Look forward to seeing you again soon...… Cat x
I keep starting to reply but don't know how to express what I want to say. Sharing is overwhelming and scary. So thank you for finding that strength to say all that. Please don't leave 🧀 I hope now that you've taken that massive step it will be a start of something positive for you 🐖
Thank you, It has been the biggest step I have taken to addressing things and I was immediately hit with fear over sharing this but also a lot of relief. I have found it difficult to read peoples messages of kindness as it is such a personal thing to discuss and I feel opening up has made me very vulnerable but it also has taken so much fear and suppressed feelings away that for the first time in years I woke up with a smile on my face and feel much more able to face the world.
I came here because I couldn’t talk to family and didn’t feel they understood. I felt by bottling up it seemed too much to cope with. I have found like minded support on here and found it helps to off load but also by supporting others in similar positions. I really hope it helps you by letting go of some of those thoughts and feelings so that they can make you feel less alone and burdened. Some suggestions may not be right but by talking it helps your thought processes. I think we tend to be to judgmental and harsh on ourselves and sometimes it’s nice to hear others thoughts on a situation that they are not emotionally attached to. Well done for taking that brave step.
By opening up you are likely to find others with similar experiences and feelings and symptoms of the results of them so THEY ARE LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT YOU WELL. I think you have done the right thing to open up. There are probably a good many people here who will be quite willing and able to give you pretty good support if you want it walkingtalking.
I am sure many will empathise with that 'hitting the post button' moment, even if their circumstances are entirely different. Most of what can constructively be said in that regard has been already. Remember, what you 'said' and the responses are here for you to reflect up upon, if and when you feel it is appropriate to you.
firstly love my heart feels sad for you but your very very brave and seem to be as lovely
as your mum ilost mine i had undiagnosed severe trauma fractured sckull at the time so i wasnt right and lied to about her condition but my post is to comfort you i no what you must be going though love and you have found are familys site were family on here and you are
and we have angels on helpline and love trust me they to me are like our mums were to us
you can talk love and there there for you plus on hear there are good hearted family members who are very wise helpfull kind and always here for you now im always here for you love and all are family here hug eddie x
I can't empathise your experience, I lost my parents many moons ago, I have experienced assault in my private and working life, but not the same as you, I have a brain injury, again it will be different.
What I can say is there is a wealth of people here for each other. Some, like me here, on this post, will twoddle on, some will be of value. The main thing is it is a safe place to vent those thoughts held so tight without judgement. It is a safe place to bounce your thoughts off others. It is a safe place to order your thinking. It is also a place where it is ok to not be ok.
In one way or another we are all damaged, we all have doubts, we all have times when we can't line our thoughts up to make sense.
But we all have big ears, soft shoulders, and we will hold you tight in our hearts.
Sorry for your trauma and what you have been through but how incredibly brave to post on here and let it out your system. First steps. I haven't posted on here much but your post has inspired me to be brave too. Sorry for the loss of your dear mum, hold onto your wonderful happy memories of her. This group will definitely support you along the way, keep posting and let everyone help you. Don't leave, take care. xx
There will be a way forward for you.
I live with a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and the associated complex PTSD, coupled with acquired brain injury resulting from a series of suicide attempts. The suppressed abuse memories re-surfaced after they lost their mother so the impact of grief, trauma and mental disability is immense. NHS Mental Health services were unable to assist due to the complexity of our case but speak to your GP or self-refer for an assessment if you haven't already. There may be some services available in your area.
We have found specialist PTSD therapy via Headway. It has to be specialist because standard therapy doesn't always account for the brain injury. We tried several trauma processing methods with the therapist and have found EMDR to be very positive.
All good wishes to you on your personal journey of recovery - don't give up and please know you are not alone.
You've done the right thing, you won't regret it in any way. You will be made very welcome here. Nobody on here can even begin to understand the circumstances of how you suffered your brain injury, but we certainly are able to help you in the journey you are now undertaking.
Please ask questions, share more, talk often and never, ever feel you are a burden, to anyone. Some of us have been here years and now feel part of the furniture, some are as new as you, but we all have similar experiences and can empathise with much of what you are now living through.
I want to say thank you everyone for your messages, I'm not ready to reply but I will soon. I just need to process things a little longer. In the meantime your are all so kind 🐖
As other have already said this is a place where you can share and getting understanding.
However having said that no two peoples experience is ever the same and given what you say, perhaps by writing such a deeply personal post, this is the first step to begin to release all that emotion.
From what you say I do wonder if you have received specialist help, as you have three traumatic but intertwined issues, if not it would probably be helpful to ask your GP for a referral to your local Neurological service.
There you should be able to see a Neuropsychologist, as they can provide different types of therapy with special account taken of your brain injury.
Obviously it's impossible for me to even imagine your experience but I received therapy from a Neuropsychologist for over 12 months and talking to them was a release of all that inner turmoil and I can recommend such service
Great you took the step to share & trust us the invisible but responsive Group.
This is my only contact with others who actually speak the Headway experience in its various forms. Hope I make sense?? But nobody will judge me if I don't
Had afew foggy days, couldn't access speach properly & 1 day of my brain still being in bed without me.
Welcome. Sorry you've gone through so much. Glad you were able to find this place. Wishing you better days ahead. Thanks for sharing your life with us.
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