Interpreting symbols

[Ideogram]

Does anyone else struggle interpreting symbols? Noticeably harder than reading words?

When my brain lets me do so without headaches, I can read a book. But I've had several times now when I've struggled to interpret symbols.

The other day it was having to make a conscious effort to understand which shape of stick man meant I was allowed to go through that door for a wee.

This evening it was not realising that the food I've just cooked was still bubbling because the hob was on.

The dial was right in front of me - and I took the sensory input to think, 'why is this bubbling?' - but I couldn't problem solve to think, 'shoot, did I turn THIS ring on accidentally?'. I've done it twice in two days with the oven - not realising that the wrong part of the oven was turned on - and now it's getting me scared. In fact both times my brain leapt to the wrong, and less obvious, conclusion (the oven is on so maybe the hob's a bit warm) - NOT 'that dial is in the on position which you know because you check it before you go to bed every night'!

I know it's a symbols thing as well as problem solving because I can no longer find apps on my phone when they're not on my home screen. Searching through the sea of them draws a blank. (And no, I didn't realise the names were underneath them in little - and alphabetical - text... Presumably my pre-C brain never read that.)

Have others found this, and what helped bring it back? I'm beginning to feel like the man who mistook his wife for a hat...

Not going to lie, this is so disorienting that I feel like I'm going mad. Things like muddling words and getting tired and getting headaches I can cope with, because they mean... I'm tired or my body is in pain. But being this divorced from reality in a way that feels almost akin to hallucinating is terrifying (I don't mean literally hallucinating, though I'm not sure if I briefly did that first thing this morning when I got confused at what was coming up on my phone).

Irony of ironies ...I did my undergrad dissertation on an ideographic (ie little symbols) writing system before the alphabet came to Europe..! Maybe I should have studied psychiatry instead...🤦

[pinkvision]

Hi, you are writing some of my first-year experiences after my TBI.

The NHS told me it was a psychological problem.

I went to see a private neuro-optometrist who did loads of tests and found the problem was with visual processing, I was prescribed tinted lenses which had an instant effect by filtering out certain wavelengths of light. I went through 3 different tints over two years, blue to turquoise to green (note these are sequential in the visual spectrum) and the problem was solved.

At the same time I did training exercises to reestablish my 'shape' recognition and memory. This involved patiently drawing the four basic shapes, circle, rectangle, triangle and cylinder in 2D then 3D then doodling with the shapes to create dimensional pictures for at least 1 hour everyday for 6 months. It worked. My abstract visual memory improved from dysfunctional in a neuropsychology test to 100% over a year.

I also remember Celo taping notes onto the top of my hand when I used the cooker, washing machine etc to remind me I was using them. I also used routines if I was cooking to stand there next to the cooker until the food was cooked to stop me burning stuff and setting the kitchen on fire.

Hope that helps

[Ideogram in reply to pinkvision]

This is really helpful. Thank you. Yep, I think it's visual processing. My eye health check at Boots was fine but I was really struggling with doing it - the peripheral vision one in particular, I almost shouted that I couldn't concentrate with folk chatting next to me. Cheers.

[pinkvision in reply to Ideogram]

It's got nothing to do with your eyes so seeing an optician is of no use, you may want to see an optometrist instead to assess how your brain is processing visual information.

babo.co.uk/

cardiff.ac.uk/optometrists

[Ideogram in reply to pinkvision]

Thanks. My TBI was right to my eye so I didn't know if my vision itself was also affected, but it's clear there's something going on in the bigger organ that's using the eye! Thanks.

[pinkvision in reply to Ideogram]

Ah ok, I hit the back of my head where vision is processed.