Welcome to Headway’s new online community.
To start things off, we’d love to hear what topics you’d like to discuss on here. Tell us in the comments below or click the ‘Questions’ tab to post your own question.
Don’t forget to register your account if you haven’t done so already!
What topics would I like to discuss? Feelings come pretty high up the list for me. Feelings surrounding my head injury. How you fit that into an online forum, I'm not sure.
I think I would like a forum which lets me feel like I am not alone in my experiences, but maybe part of living with a head injury (or, speaking for myself, MY head injury) includes a general feeling of isolation. Perhaps to achieve this one people could be invited to share their experiences in a focussed way (like a questionnaire followed by a discussion - I did a survey from a link on FB recently, which was a bit heavy, but something similar may really help people to tease out the relevant bits of information from an injured brain and help them to organise their thoughts a bit).
For example, personally I find social situations very stressful, even with my own family, so going along to a Headway group is not a feasible solution, and a solution is not necessarily what I want, much as I would like a magic wand to fix the parts of my brain that deal with social dynamics and interactions. What I want, though, is validation and acceptance, which are wonderful things, and under the circumstances, probably the best I could hope for in terms of managing my injury.
I do know that everyone's experience of brain injury is different and therefore the questions they may like to see discussed are probably different too, but this is where I'm coming from.
Peace out.
Hi fuzzyhead,
Thank you very much for your post.
Good idea on the survey to get people talking - the system doesn't support complex surveys, but we've tried to do similar using the polls feature which we hope to update regularly. Any ideas for poll questions are very welcome!
Don't forget our helpline is there to talk through complex situations too, you can contact them on 0808 800 2244 or helpline@headway.org.uk. It might also be worth posting a separate question on here if you have any specific things you'd like to discuss with other members of the community.
I notice you've posted an excellent blog in the blogs section which has already received some positive feedback, so a big thanks for getting involved!
Best wishes,
Headway.
How to get help.
I've had very little help since my injury in 2008. I'm not good with Neurologists and I'm not getting anywhere, my care has just stopped.
Hi bluevanman,
Thank you so much for your post - the problems you are experiencing with getting help and support will be quite familiar to many people.
Can I suggest you add a separate question on this site, to try and get the views of other members?
I would also definitely suggest you call our free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 2244 or email helpline@headway.org.uk. They will be able to talk through your situation, and guide you to appropriate medical support, local Headway groups and branches etc.
Best wishes,
Headway.
Post Traumatic Stress. My son suffered a head injury at the age of 18 as a result of a mugging, a year on, he is struggling to come to terms with the attack, and the way a head injury and near death experience has left him. He has tried to deal with this in his own way, but getting very depressed and cannot sleep normally, as his mum, i feel helpless.
Hi Debbie, I'm new on here, I support alot of people with CPTSD and PTSD . As I've suffered myself since loosing my parents in 2007, as they were both brutally murdered.
People say time is a healer, however I'm straight forward, I'd say this is incorrect. We never forget, however we do have to try so so hard to get through every day. I try and look for the positives, also I'll never give up and never give in, or my mum would be really upset and I only want her to be proud.
Don't get me wrong I do go within myself sometimes, birthdays, etc, the date she was taken, I try every year to be good, don't react, don't relive it, but unfortunately I've found it's getting harder every year. With counciling and support, which there isn't much, the key is to trust the person, in 13 yes I found one person who really helped me, unfortunately she passed away 4 years ago and I struggle without her. If your son keeps a diary, especially when he has a trigger, to identify them, then try to avoid them, or Ive had eye movement therapy, replacing the most horrific pics in my head with a smiling pic of mum. Anything can trigger, a sound, the weather, a song, situation, being surrounded by alot of people. Etc.
I'm not the same person I was, however I have a few groups on FB, that I can vent, as someone with PTSD, sometimes just needs to get everything out of there head, rage, cry, but to know that someone one the other end understands, as I'd be there a week after when they drop. To support, no judgement , to say to him, your there when ever, what ever, and you love him, he may shut you out, but we do this to protect the people around us. To live with this box that stores all these horrific things, that we couldn't process at the time, jump out like a jack in the box, it's a shock every time. Think fight or flight, this is constant, feeling threatened, scared, etc. It's like your seeing a movie through your eyes, it sounds mad, but you feel separate from your body. Well I hope I can help you, as this helps me, destruction is the key! If his thinking is to dark, distraction, distraction ,distraction, you need to get him out that place, well hope to speek soon,
This isn't my name but I'll use Marie much love ❤️
Positive outcomes as a result of BI & what people are doing especially with regards to helping themselves move forward in life. Finding a new purpose rather than deciding to be a victim of circumstance we have no control over.
In my experience groups generally have a negative feel to them.
Just saw this post is 8 years old!!!
What you do when you feel like garbage
If you had the chance what would want to tell medical staff about dealing with brain injured patients? 
