Excepting new ways

[Jpdee75]

The last few days I’ve decided to wake up to some of my delusions. People on here and the neuropsychologist have been saying to control the boom and bust cycle and to listen to body and recognise triggers. I have troubles with my vision it’s hard to explain but think my brain has problems processing the vision information things do seem to be slow clearing up or / and I’m getting used to it. If I am tired it gets harder to focus and I get and pressure round my eyes and four head which is a definite sign I’m getting tired but the trigger is everything when i have my eyes open. I can only avoid this in my sleep or with a blind fold. All though it’s my nature to make a joke of things I am actually worried.

[cat3]

Both my neuro-consultant and my opthalmologist agreed that my vision isn't responsible for my poor balance or my feelings of disassociation but that, post brain-injury, the brain's interpretations of sights & sounds can go askew, more so when overworked.

The following 'Brainline' article explains it far better then I can !Hope this goes some way to reassuring you Jpdee... x

I can't get the link to work so I've copied it instead....

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Why Does Everything Seem Surreal After Brain Injury?

Emilie Godwin, PhD

Question:

I survived a TBI in May 2010. Since that time everything feels surreal. It is as if I am 2-3 steps removed from everything that’s happening. Can you explain this?

Answer:

Following a traumatic brain injury, many people experience both their inner and outer worlds quite differently than they did before. There are a number of reasons for this. First, changes to the brain commonly impact a person’s memory, attention, concentration, problem-solving abilities, and reasoning skills. These changes can alter the way a person makes sense of or interacts with the world around them, resulting in very different thought processes and behaviors than the person may have had before the injury.

Changes to the parts of the brain that control either visual or auditory processing can also result in a person experiencing the world quite differently than they did before. When the brain receives information either by looking at something (visual input) or by listening to sounds (auditory input), the brain must de-code this information and make sense of it. When the parts of the brain that have this job are injured, people can have a difficult time accurately interpreting what they see or hear.

Finally, stress levels are substantially heightened for most people with TBI. Whether stress comes from the difficulty of having had a traumatic experience, from the challenge of living with changes to one’s abilities, from the emotional changes that can accompany brain injury, or from a combination of these factors, stress levels are likely to be high. Prolonged, intense stress "• especially when accompanied by trauma "• can have a significant impact on the way in which the brain functions. Survivors struggling to manage stress levels may notice further difficulty processing information or making meaning of themselves and their world.

Some people with brain injury may also experience what doctors refer to as depersonalization (DP) and/or derealization (DR). Depersonalization describes the experience of feeling like you are removed from yourself or as if you are in a dream. Derealization is the sensation that the world around you is unreal or is profoundly and grotesquely changed. Often, DP and DR occur at the same time. The majority of people who note frequent bouts with DP/DR have experienced some type of significant trauma. DP/DR can also occur as a result of injuries or illnesses which impact neurological functioning. Although there is still much to learn with respect to why some people experience DP/DR following a traumatic brain injury, the experience may be more common than was previously thought. In fact, in one study, as many as half of the patients with TBI reported experiencing at least occasional instances of DP/DR¹,². It appears that people with TBI may be more likely to experience DP/DR when they also meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

If you frequently have the sensation that either you or the world around you is unreal and/or dreamlike, speak to your doctor about this. Your physician may be able to prescribe a medication regimen that could help to reduce these symptoms. Additionally, consider seeing a counselor about ways to reduce the significant stressors in your life. The counselor can also help by providing support and encouragement to assist you in coping with times when you experience DP/DR. Combining stress reduction, professional support, and a comprehensive wellness and medication management plan is the most effective approach to regaining a sense of stability and security in yourself and your world.

Sources

Grigsby J, Kaye K: Incidence and correlates of depersonalization following head trauma. Brain Inj 1993; 7:507–513.

Lambert, M, Sierra, M, Phillips, M, David, A: The spectrum of organic depersonalization: A review plus four new cases. J Neuropsych Clin N 2002; 14:141-154.

Posted on BrainLine May 22, 2013. Reviewed July 26, 2018.

About the author: Emilie Godwin, PhD

Emilie Godwin, PhD, LPC, MFT is a faculty member and licensed clinician at Virginia Commonwealth University, with a specialty focus on couples and family counseling after brain injury. Currently, she serves as the Family Support Program Coordinator for the VCU TBI Model System projects.

[Jpdee75 in reply to cat3]

Hi cat thanks hope the copy wasn’t to much hassle. It seems the best thing I can do is calm down and accept my new interpretation of the world sounds simple but nothing about bi is, feel like it’s all linked to my fatigue troubles. At the very least I have a couple of new labels to throw around. Again cheers

[cat3 in reply to Jpdee75]

You're welcome Jpdee. Be kind to yourself.... x