psychological or symptoms

[Jpdee75]

Following a tbi damage to frontal lobe my symptoms have been numerous. Confusion, anxiety, fatigue, vision problems, hot weather issues and light sensitivity etc. I find myself wondering how much of this can be a psychological barrier as I improve and work on getting better. My body and brain obviously went into a fight or flight survival mode and I hear this can be the case for years to come, the body and brain over reacting. Like it’s maybe stuck in a loop. Am I over reaching or is there any kind of substance to this? Has anyone else felt like this ?

[BadSkater]

The most irritating thing about mtbi/tbi is the extent the non injured believe that many of the issues are psychological.

[Jpdee75 in reply to BadSkater]

I’m the injured and it’s me hoping that some of it is psychological 🤷🏻

[skydivesurvivor]

suffered mine in 2000, spent 5 years not knowing my ass from my elbow?!! Tried to go back to work on some program. Not able to do old job, co. Was kind enough to support me whilst awaiting appeal against show doctor who asked me 3 simple questions. Stopped my incapacity benefit. Lived off bank of mum n dad until appeal date. Needed 6 points for long term benefits, was awarded 13?!!! Took me 20+ years to accept my limitations, make the new me?!! Divorce, death of both parents. Now struggle as abandoned by social services!! On anti depressants. Hi light of day? Go to Costa for coffee, say morning to people I used to attend day centre with, get paper n go home!! Dispute all this shit?!! Am still very grateful they sent me away when I rattled the pearly gates. Oh & learnt to SMILE to spite my stupidity!! Try it

[Jpdee75 in reply to skydivesurvivor]

I’m familiar with the ass and elbow actually it all sounds familiar. I’m battling with benefits at moment. Social life is none existent, ex filed for divorce shortly after injury wanted half and I had to ask parents to bail me out with an interest only equity loan on there house it’s a headache no pun intended. Parents in their 70s and I am dreading the day I lose them cause I have very little else to fall back on. My limitations are keeping me from moving on so I can’t except it. Life doesn’t feel like living.

[skydivesurvivor in reply to Jpdee75]

My parents lost their first to daughters as babies, they were keeping st Peter away from the gates to open them ! Why I am determined to live the life they didn’t get!weird but that’s my brain injury?! Whhhaaaa, sorry. smile!!

[James1984]

Hi, I completely understand what your going through. I get overwhelmed by so much 'stimulus' at once. It could be simply driving on a highway in a car with no passengers and the radio off, but obviously lots of other things to be mindful of. Crowds, multi-tasking, noise......it all results in burn-out very quickly, and I usually need a sleep because of the fatigue.

From what I understand, this all has an impact on the function of our autonomic system. The autonomic system is responsible for the functioning of your body. So if your brain is sending the wrong signal to your body, your body responds wrong, and when your body responds wrong it impacts the functioning of your brain. So yes, it like being stuck in a loop until you rest and recover sufficiently.

[Jpdee75 in reply to James1984]

Hoping things ease a bit more I’m sick and tired of having to sleep and rest for days because I dared to do an enjoyable activity or something productive, no thing crazy just some I took for granted

[Leiabug]

Hi, my son had tbi 4 years ago at aged 17, his frontal lobe was damaged. Optic nerve damage to left eye too, but has severe anxiety , think this is to do with the damage. It's hard for him to get motivated too. It's very hard somedays and i think your right about being stuck in a loop, he qualified last year as level 2 carpenter , but struggles on a daily basis. It's hard as sone of his so called friends say oh it is your brain injury again. Not real friends

[Graceissufficient in reply to Leiabug]

Could his pituitary gland have been affected? Very interesting post on this in a recent discussion by a mother whose son committed suicide due to undiagnosed pituitary damage and is now campaigning for better awareness.

[Leiabug in reply to Graceissufficient]

Yeah i think it might've been, it's so hard you get discharged from hospital and feel like you've just been left to find answers etc . We will hopefully have answers when we see the neurologist, hopefully won't be too long of a wait.

[Jpdee75 in reply to Leiabug]

I really do feel for him. Motivation anxiety and fatigue plague me, but he’s so young. I pray he finds his niche in life and solid relationships. I was very blasé in life and never made hay whilst the sun was shining, hang around in pubs socially and married a wrongin all of which come crashing down around my ears 5 years ago. I’m now 50 with brain damage with no money or companionship. It’s still possible for your son to carve out a better life than I did, even with tbi. All my best wishes go out to you

[Leiabug in reply to Jpdee75]

Thank you for your lovely reply , it's hard. He luckily plays pool every for a local pub which he loves, its just this latest knock gas shocked us all. Best wishes to you too. 😊

[Graceissufficient]

Yes, all you say. I had three knocks onto a hard surface, on forehead, quite hard (knocked down full flight of stairs) in Sept. No damage to skull, no brain bleed, but the brain was clearly damaged by slushing hard back and forth.

It is not psychological, though it feels so, it is brain damage, in my case post concussion syndrome. The front of the brain does speech production and I now stammer when stressed or tired.

Mine felt at first like quite extreme PTSD. Photophobia is standard. Dark glasses out, maybe ear defenders.

The big realisation is that "fighting it" doesn't work. It's the opposite of building up physical strength - that's hard to grasp. Maybe even harder for men to realise. The brain recovers through rest and quiet and patience. Second guess it and protect it.

I'm steadily improving. It is v slow and sometimes you go backwards. Search post concussion syndrome in this forum and online.

[Jpdee75]

I hear you. It’s hard not to try and push through particularly as my motivation is low, so if I don’t I’ll just sit around and sleep. I see the end of the tunnel but can’t step out of it. I’m frustrated, financially broke and lonely. I’m trying to find a way through

[Stubble]

The tendency for people, especially some medical folks, to psychologise things they don't understand is uncomfortablly high unfortunately.

There are physical structural reasons for the challenges we face.

One thing that is showing a lot of promise is Red Light Therapy, especially using the Near Infra Red spectrum which can help stimulate mitochondria and encourage plasticity.

If you haven't considered this, you can get a desktop panel cheaply via AliExpress - these are the same models that are sold here branded but for quite extortionate amounts.

Have a quick interaction with ChatGPT or any of the new AI tools and you will get some good data on why this works along with suggestions for scheduling sessions to help move things along.

[Jpdee75 in reply to Stubble]

I’ll look into that thanks