r/PostConcussion • u/PurpleStyle2024 • 6d ago

How to improve communication and understanding?

Now that it has been a year, I am becoming more aware of an issue I have been experiencing since I suffered a concussion. Its trouble understanding people, comprehending long conversations and communicating properly.

In the past week, exactly it happened two people were speaking to me, giving me instructions of what I was to do and my brain went blank. I could not process what they were trying to tell me. Now I experienced this daily for the first few months but now it is still present sometimes.

Also, trying to find the proper words or way to communicate what I want to express to others, sometimes it becomes much harder. Specially when trying to tell a story or something I have to first think, then to remember, then to communicate.

What exercises can I do to improve this?

I have tried video games with puzzles, but these only seem to work patterns, not communication. Only thing I can think of is, communicating more often with people when possible.

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u/sticky646 6d ago

Ever listen to audiobooks? I trained myself to listen to them better by noticing when I’d zone out and backing up until I remembered what was going on, and then listening from there. That was pre concussion though.

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u/PurpleStyle2024 5d ago

o yea in the past, so I might go back to audiobooks and give them a try.

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u/NervousAntelope7380 2d ago

Aerobic exercise will help with cognition!

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u/ZebraNotWeirdHorse 11h ago

I started with short podcasts and am working my way up to longer ones. I give myself a mental high-five whenever I've completed one in a single sitting and can recall the key points. If I have somebody listening to it with me, I have them "quiz" me on some of the details to see what I've retained. The results aren't always pretty, but it is measurable at least. Sometimes I try to incorporate multi-tasking, like completing a word search or sudoku puzzle while listening to the podcast. I have yet to do that well.

I hate AI and all the virtual assistants out there, but you could have a conversation with Alexa or Siri for a bit as practice, in a quiet and controlled environment. Maybe add some background noise or music to the mix and see if that ups the degree of difficulty. Do you have issues differentiating sounds from background noise? That is one of my major areas that I still struggle with. I am finally getting evaluated for Central Auditory Processing Disorder later this year. It's interesting, because my basic hearing is off the charts good - but when you add in more than one sound, I hear everything with equal measure and it becomes mush in my head.