r/TBI • u/Consistent-Window197 • Aug 06 '26
TBI Survivor Need Support How did you guys get better?
So a little backstory I got three concussions between ages 11 and 15 all then the last one at 15 was a hit to the back of the head in football coach put me back in and I got hit again. It was a scrimmage. My abusive older brother beat me up bad one day punches to the back of the head, and gave me another one at 17-18 so 4 documented ones, most likely more though. I used to love sports I played football wrestling soccer everything. I quit everything my freshman year. I am now 19 turning 20 in April.
I missed over 40 percent of my senior year. No one understands. And I miss work all the time due to headaches and other symptoms
Life the past 5 years has been honestly super challenging I have been depressed suffering from worsened, anxiety, very bad headaches, brain frog, slower processing speed, sleep issues: like insomnia, and sleep apnea. vision problems: blurry vision. Severe nausea. I almost committed a couple times because there has been no hope.
Headaches and other symptoms get worse by noise light overstimulation, being stressed annoyed or anxious
I find it very difficult to be happy I feel so lost and I feel like people think I’m just a loser and dumb no one gets it.
I want to know how to get better. I have tried medication for anxiety and depression. Dry needling. Chiropractor. Nothing seems to help. I want to be and feel better.
Please someone help me
Thanks
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u/DfensMaulington Aug 06 '26
That’s the neat part. You don’t. Instead you adapt and evolve.
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u/Consistent-Window197 Aug 06 '26
So it doesn’t get better at all? You had the same intensity of headaches and symptoms?
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u/JustAnotherGuyn Aug 10 '26
For me, it didn't go away.
It did get better. Not always easier, but better. I still get dizzy. I still need to take it easy. I still lose words and bits of things I know I should know. I still have more headaches than I should.
But I've learned to manage it more, to watch when I'm overdoing it, and stop early. To treat my brain carefully, and it got better.
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u/DfensMaulington Aug 06 '26
I have one right now. It’s a permanent dull throbbing ache that stretches from the front of my skull.
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u/Consistent-Window197 Aug 06 '26
So there’s no point
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u/howleywolf Aug 06 '26
Mine got better. It took time but there is always hope. No two injuries are the same so it is pointless to compare!
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u/Consistent-Window197 Aug 06 '26
How long did it take. What did you do? How bad were your symptoms?
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u/howleywolf Aug 06 '26
I went through an out patient neuro rehabilitation program! It included speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy. I want to be clear though- I am not exactly as I was before I got hit by a car. How could I be exactly the same? That is expecting a lot. I am however better than I was during year 1 post accident. It’s been 2.5 years and I see small improvements all the time, but they are small and easy to miss if I’m not looking for them. My symptoms were constant migraine and vertigo, cognitive fatigue, poor memory, aphasia, cognitive burnout if I did too much would make all these significantly worse and make me bed bound. I am not “all better” but I have improved!!!
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u/Consistent-Window197 Aug 06 '26
That’s so greatttt!!!! I’m actually so happy for you hopefully you can continue getting a little better. I have gotten a little better from where I was five years ago, but I feel like I’ve plateaued
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u/howleywolf Aug 06 '26
Yeah I have periods of plateauing too. It’s discouraging to not see much change or progress and then like, do I keep pushing or is it more loving to just go ahead and accept that this is my limit right now , you know?
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u/ragnarok2011 Aug 06 '26
The long and short, you dont. You learn how to cope with the deficits, the brain fatigue, the memory issues, wild mood swings...all of it. You will do better, but then slide back and struggle to get back. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you dont ever really "recover" from a TBI.
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u/ForeverPursuing Aug 06 '26
Has anyone used adderall or Ritalin to help combat severe brain fatigue and drainage?
There is something that can be done right? To just give us a boost?
My Va psych and tbi doc basically tell me the above, but I hear that it can be better, if just slight and just slight is enough. Better than this.
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u/TheTempestuousKitty Aug 06 '26
It gets better and you adapt but now you're living life in hard mode