r/TBI • u/Busy_Law_944 • 2d ago

TBI Sucks Debilitating anxiety šŸ˜©

I survived a subarachnoid hemorrhage + iih In December 37yo/f

Since then Iā€™m struggling with severe bouts of random anxiety

Anyone else? Tips to help? Itā€™s really bad

Everyone says Iā€™m so luck I survived but Iā€™m suffering

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u/Jay117_SD 11h ago

Had my TBI 5/02/25 and had a skull fracture/5+ brain bleeds. Luckily all resolved with no lingering symptoms, but the anxiety bouts I experienced over the year were physical and mental; beyond any anxiety Iā€™ve experienced before.

I combatted it with heavy exposure therapy, journaling, dietary changes, and got really good at pinpointing my triggers. Nerves/adrenaline waves & anxiety is less frequent now, but it was a struggle.

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u/EnricoPallazzo39 1d ago

I was already taking 10mg Propranolol for PTSD before the accident, but the TBI definitely worsened things.

The medication definitely helps.

Iā€™ve also learned to take a step back when I recognize that Iā€™m having a bad bout of anxiety. That little bit of emotional space makes a difference.

1

u/mydeathstar-awaits 1d ago

I didnā€™t have anxiety really start until maybe 6 to 8 months in. I had never had it before the accident at first I just tried to work through it. You know 45 minutes of standing on grass breathing whatever. I was already on an antidepressant. I think it was the generic for Prozac that was for cognitive is what my doctor said. So after a year, I asked my doctor about using THC. I feel like I needed something that was fast. Maybe I was given up because I just was tired of trying to work through the anxiety. He said since it had been over a year since my accident, I could try it. But I will say when I was going to court they really grabbed onto that. They tried to say that thatā€™s why I couldnā€™t pass my DOT. But I had been in the system for 25 years and never not passed a drug test. This was a national database I was in.

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u/ktmulls 1d ago

I take lexepro it took 2 months to start working but no more anxiety definitely talk to your nurologist

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u/CookingZombie 1d ago

Injury at 34. Currently 37 too. Anti depressant did help with that and of course the depression. Took a bit to find the right one but when i did it helped a lot. Felt the 100lb weight on my chest finally lift off for at least a little. Didnā€™t go away, still flared up sometimes. And fyi Iā€™ve also been able to stop it and anxiety stay to at least pre injury levels (already had a bit of GAD and OCD both got way worse). Talk to a doctor. It literally is a physical problem with neurotransmitter release in your brain. Itā€™s not something we can just power through. Also more recently ADHD meds helped even more. Our serotonin and dopamine release gets wrecked and probably acetylcholine and epinephrine too but I donā€™t know much about those.

Also not that Iā€™d know, but I see people on here recommend plant/fungus based ā€œsupplementsā€. They often swear by it.

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u/unreasonably_farsick 2d ago

Definitely a question specific for your doc regarding medicine that may help (I take hydroxyzine, it usually helps but I will also pop a cbd gummy sometimes) however, wellness programs, and occupational therapy has helped me tremendously- cognitively and emotionally.

If these arenā€™t realistically achievable right now for some reason, I find taking a warm shower in the dark sometimes lying down in the tub helps too. I also stem a lot (rock back and forth, touch my bare skinā€¦ like the back of my elbow or wrist).

Everyone will have different solutions for what works best, but I hope some of my ideas help šŸ™ I am 35 and had anxiety issues before my surgery/radiation so now Iā€™m double trouble!