Slow mental processing

[ghost_writer]

Hello. Does anyone have any slowness in understanding /following conversation following head injury? If so, how did you deal with it? I had a head injury when I was younger (back occipital area). Although I have an awareness of study skills and have even taught it to others, it takes me a while to grasp new concepts, especially with practical skills. This is especially frustrating for my wife who often breaks down tasks for me to make things easier for me but I still do not seem to understand easily.

[Beachlovingkiwi]

yep I actually thought I had a hearing issue at first as would take me a while to process what had been said to me - I could hear well enough just brain was slow to process and understand enough to find an answer. Definitely better as time has gone on however if very tired or have done too much in the way of talking etc can happen again. Only thing I have found that helps is knowing my triggers - loud peps, long convos on phone etc and give myself a time limit with these. And I usually rest after one of these triggers too - brain break darkness and a lie down for 15-20 mins. I’m 4 years in and still learning from it all - frustrating but hey I’m still here😀 all the best

[JontyB in reply to Beachlovingkiwi]

it is hard, and probably initially difficult at the start, but get your wife to be with you during doing a task. Get your wife to break it down into to more manageable steps take pictures and print them out and write the step out on the back.

Seeing a photo and reading the steps on the back is like show and tell

[ghost_writer in reply to JontyB]

Thank you for the suggestions

[Beachlovingkiwi]

oh and one thing I totally struggle with now is following instructions to build stuff! I used to be able to do with ease now i have to go back and re do any project at least twice. 😊

[Letsrock]

Hi ghost writer,

Yes I have trouble processing conversation and what I see. Very frustrating , just have yo get used to it and tell people to slow down especially nhs workers.

Try cognitive exercises and then rest to retrain the brain.

[ghost_writer in reply to Letsrock]

Thank you

[Nafnaf87]

Good morning ghost_writer

Yes, 25 years on my processing is still slow generally but there are faster and slower cycles within that. I try very hard to limit what I do and how I go about it to compensate, but very often I forget because the task is "easy". For example our last local Headway group meeting, its not difficult to sit there, listen and contribute a little is it? Well after about ½ hour I couldn't keep up and post the plot - still don’t remember much about it.

People around me don't really get the remembering thing: I've trained myself to go fishing while talking about something or answering somebody - I describe it as dropping a hook into my head in the hope of catching the right answer which I do manage most of the time as long as I'm not knackered. My Psychologist lady, Dr Pam understands now but found it difficult at first, she said I told her something and then immediately proved the opposite!

Best wishes

Michael

[ghost_writer in reply to Nafnaf87]

Thank you. When there are meetings, usually, I don't contribute much either although I seem to often ask questions afterwards

[1949liz]

Hi I have suffered from brain injury due to a violent now ex husband. I suffer from Foreign Speech Syndrome and also many other things relating to my brain injury. I am having speech therapy. But when I get upset or stressed my brain and speech goes haywire. I am learning to speak slowly and when I get mixed up with words or actions I must slow down and rest. My speech therapist said it’s like this, the brain is like a load of wires and when lost it has to find another way of dealing with finding another word or action. It’s a puzzle putting the pieces together again. Sorry if it does not make sense I am sure someone else on this amazing site will come up with something straightforward.. Take care Liz and Shelly 🙏❤️

[ghost_writer in reply to 1949liz]

Thank you. It seems to make sense, a bit like driving down a road and finding a road closure /diversion but then having to take a longer route to get to the same place.

[DTBI]

I had my TBI nine years ago and have been slower in listening since. I have no chance of tracking chats between a group of people even friends. I can even struggle to keep track on TV & films if they are speaking fast and changing topics, experiences etc. I have to understand/remember what whoever is talking about, by which time they’ve moved on to a different topic🤦🏻‍♂️

I don’t worry about it, no point, if necessary I’ll pretend I know what they’ve just discussed. My wife knows where I am and will highlight important points to me. Other than it is what it is.

[Catx1978]

I have the same trouble and god help if anyone tries to talk about something else when I'm trying to process where I am in a conversation. The problem I have with other people is because they don;t understand the ocgnitive side of brain i njury, they tend to carry on talking how thery usually would and then get funny and find it funny that I'm striggling. Sorry that';s me having my oan and I'm working through that.



I'm very early on in my recovery. TBI was sustanined almost two years ago so still learning how to deal with everything.

[skydivesurvivor]

I find it very hard to socialise, have learnt to engage conversation, then happy to let the others carry on?! Redeveloping social skills is still very hard for me, 20+ years after accident

[Nafnaf87 in reply to skydivesurvivor]

Good afternoon skydivesurvivor

Even though I know full well it is not sensible all I ever want to do is help and be helpful and then I get stressed out of my tiny damaged braincell because I didn’t do the sensible thing and say "NO".

Often my forgetfulness now turns out to be very useful! Probably not the best way to deal but it avoids difficult situations very often.

[skydivesurvivor in reply to Nafnaf87]

thank you, SMILE to spite it is my answer these days!! Jeep safe and carry on?!!

[Nafnaf87 in reply to skydivesurvivor]

"Jeep safe and carry on?!!"

LOL, Jeep died and I didn’t 😊

[ghost_writer in reply to skydivesurvivor]

skydivesurvivor I had a similar issue with difficulty socialising. Perhaps one way to deal with it is to try and perhaps gradually attend social gatherings, watching /listening to what others are saying and to get an idea of what they talk about, etc. For me, I had underlying issues of depression, etc. Once that was resolved (my wife has been amazingly helpful), I was able to socialise better. Do you have any underlying worries /anxieties that perhaps need to be resolved first? Just a thought.

[Mads1975]

yes, I notice it when I’m at work mostly. I had worked at the same global bank since graduating 13 years prior to my ABI and it soon became clear that my speed of thought and concentration had been significantly impaired. It resulted in me being given ill health retirement and almost all of my attempt to rejoin the employment train have resulted in me losing my job due to mistakes related to poor focus

[skydivesurvivor in reply to Mads1975]

this new life can certainly be a challenge, SMILE to spite it is what I do!!

[skydivesurvivor in reply to Mads1975]

know that one!! Retired from more than work!! At 35!! U challenge now seems to be filling all those hours?! Hope. Find fulfilment in someway soon!! Come and share y progress please? Make us all envious?!! … can see a little cheeky grin?!

[ghost_writer in reply to Mads1975]

Mads1975 Life can be challenging especially when it is fast paced. I had that sort of problem when working in a busy department store (store room). The manager once even directly said to me "you don't have any common sense, do you?"

[Teazymaid]

yes definitely have found this difficult . My accident was 2 and a half years ago .. every thing was very difficult to understand ,think concentrate , just to function on new information was very difficult … I couldn’t hold a conversation with lots of people .. I needed one on one and silence in the background to attempt to remember/understand what was being said … I just kept going kept trying and told people when I didn’t know or turn the radio/Tv down … or I walked away from group chats so my head could breath .. and even said I can’t do it so carry on without me great when your off button doesn’t exist sue x

[ghost_writer in reply to Teazymaid]

Thank you for the suggestions

[Lite75]

Hi ghost_writer

I suffered a brain abscess and stroke at the same time nearly 13 years ago and noticed a great of slowness to process the information I could hear which is very annoying for me but to others. In fact, when went for a hearing test and given new aids, the Audiologist said that it could also be because the brain is slower to process information. In the end, I had to take early retirement from a job I’d always loved but it is a miracle I’m alive at all, although the limitations sometimes get me down if I’m honest.

Talking to much, or listening intently can be very tiring which people without brain injury just don’t understand, but I wouldn’t have done before either.

All I can say, going and don’t give up however long it takes. You’ve already seen some improvement so there’s no reason it won’t carry on.

Good luck, Lite 75

[ghost_writer in reply to Lite75]

Thank you for that

[Skulls]

Even now, over four years later, I lose my train of thought. I digress far more than I used to and rarely find my way back to the original topic. It must make communicating with me a challenge! Perhaps just as well I seldom speak to people?!

[ghost_writer in reply to Skulls]

Maybe you can try writing more? Strangely, I can type /write more than I speak most of the time. Maybe it is for a similar reason as yours?

[Writeronstack]

I'm just over a year into living with this injured brain. On holiday right now. Last night my husband had to tell me "the story of the day". . . . Just a list of things that happened. Traffic jams, picking up my son, going for a swim... And slowly the pattern re-emerged. I'd managed to muddle it all up. Happens when I am tired. It will get better. It is already better. I could not look at the TV at first. Now, we have about a quarter of a DVD, and then a short break. I go and get a coffee, and sit and assimilate. And enjoy recalling the good bits. Then we carry on. My husband has been very very patient.

Keep going. Tell them that you are re-building, still. It is exhausting but SO worth it. You will improve. You're not alone, as you see by now.

[ghost_writer in reply to Writeronstack]

Thank you

[Dann2]

Hello, yes, I experience slower cognitive skills, which is incredibly frustrating. I am trying to find ways of coping and improving too. Good luck, keep in touch

[ghost_writer in reply to Dann2]

Thank you. I wish you all the best as well

[Flosmum04]

Hi,

I find this one of the hardest things to live with. no-one knows how hard I have to work to keep track of everything. My head injury was 18months ago, everyone thinks im back to being my old self, but actually every day is hard. I have stopped being in social situations as much as possible. Work takes all my brain power so when im home I just don't want to have to work so hard. Im hoping it will get easier. I understand, you are not alone xx

[ghost_writer in reply to Flosmum04]

Thank you. Knowing that I am not alone is a blessing. I hope things improve for you as well

[Writeronstack in reply to Flosmum04]

I do so sympathise with you Flosmum4. Most of the time I look as though I am back to my normal self. This is actually FAR from true. They're kind, when I specifically ask for help, but mostly they forget. (Which actually is what we would wish for, because it is a huge piece of anxiety for them to think that their wife or their mum is not back to normal. We are after all a big part of their firm foundation - they can't afford to have us wobbly).

But it is all I can do to hold it together. Some days, I can't. And like you, I have to excuse myself from social gatherings. The noise gets me, for a start.

I am getting a bit better at rationing, though. An hour max in company - and then I have to go and "do something important and time sensitive" which needs a bit of quiet.....

I'm getting a bit better 'reading' my own limits. And that is a kind of "better".