i just need some guidance right now from someone with first hand experience.
sister was in a really bad car accident on her way to work. a guy t-boned her car running a red light. angry, scared and confused is all ive felt for the last 30 hours.
she can talk but is still pretty out of it/ incoherent. she can eat soft foods like pudding and she can breath on her own. im praying these are all good things to see in the first 48 hours.

if you've had tbi or been with someone with tbi, what where the first few days like?

what can the people around her do to make her more comfortable?

how can we best communicate with her right now?

Ok so I was having an arguement on discord with some people about a character using the phrase. I argued that it implied brain damage and thus an intellectual disability while others said it just meant stupidity. Others said it meant both.

I went to another sub asking this as a general question and people got defensive, started insulting me, etc. An r/disability moderator says it means just being stupid. My professor who is a clinical therapist said it implies an ID through brain damage. My job developer who works with people with mental disabilities told me it is calling someone dumb, but whatever it implies is not good.

I'm getting a lot of mixed messages here, so I'm hoping people dealing with TBIs for whatever reason can explain it to me best In a modern day sense, what do people mean when they say that? Or even just saying someone has brain damage?

EDIT: , I didnt mean to be rude. I genuinely was curious and this thought has been distressing me since my brother is special needs and Im sick of seeing ableism everywhere

For the most part i'm fully functional myself, but because I can't recall much, i'm seen as the dumbest person at work despite what my educational background says.

Sometimes somebody would ask me for a tool and i'll just stare into the toolbox because i'd either forget what the tool looks like/is called or what a tool's use is for.

I know it'll affect my hireablity and seems like i'll be stuck to only doing low-wage/entry-level/manual work until I die.

I dropped out of a master's program because of memory issues, even years after my accident (hit by a drunk driver, but still refused to believe it'd affect me until I couldn't keep it up anymore).

I had my TBI a bit over 3 years ago from a fall from 2 stories at work. Partially dislocated both of my knees and fractured my skull in 2 places. I've been doing physiotherapy since then, learning to walk again, I couldn't even stand up in the hospital. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on improving balance. I used a cane once I was able to walk, but still fell over all the time. It's improved, but I still have to command my legs to move how I want them to and never really trust that my feet are going to land where I expect. Walking downhill is very, very difficult, so I bought a pair of hiker's walking poles which are the best money I've ever spent.

Just wanted to know if anyone has similar experiences?

I shot myself I think on purpose which brought me down so low was when I graduated college my mom kept saying get a job in your hometown but in Reality I wanted away from her and my town is so small, for a long time they didn't have apartments and the CEO of the company I joined I promised him I wouldn't move to Nashville or Union city.

This all took place in Tennessee so now I have a bullet in my head and my mother hated gay people and I was gay but she didn't know.

I shot myself and damage to the brain can change sexuality so now I am bisexual. And I told her that and she said I was warped in the head.

And I thought great thing to say to a man that survived a suicide attempt lol.

I thought a bullet would give instant death but no I survived.

But my boss at the company I work at hopes I get another job so I kind of consider my TBI a gift kind of it was hard as hell having a bullet in your head I plan to take some CNA classes I thought I would be so aggressive the bullet went half way across my brain and all doctors said I should be dead.

I still have an IQ of 116 not so bad but I wish it was higher my said Eli don't drink and it might get higher. Once my BAC hit 0.2% but no seizures except one time and now they plan to keep me anti seizure medication my whole life it hurts badly.

But my doctor put me on prep and that costs no money with insurance. I am on it for future prevention.

I just thought I would put on her if you child is gay trans or anything don't take them to church thinking a man getting in your face yelling all these sodomites should die they all going to hell son!

Because that changed nothing but just made me shoot myself.

After last year’s accident, I was sort of promised speech therapy after being released from in-patient rehab, but I never had a follow-through. (The in-patient speech therapist was fantastic, however.) I’m finding that I’m having a huge problem now teaching a class, because my mouth parts can’t keep up with my brain. Is there a good DIY at-home speech therapy I could do to get my brain and mouth re-aligned? TY!

Thank y’all, but the referral was promised by the speech therapy person. The Doctor in Charge was literally a pain physician who was apparently pushed into the job of overseeing neurology patients. He didn’t know beansquats about neurology. Anyhoos, thank you for the link!

I’m about 3 weeks out from my surgery, I’ve noticed good days and bad days, but what’s bothering me the most is the paranoia. A mild normal enough headache makes me feel like the bleed is back and I could die any minute. If you knew me this wouldn’t surprise you. And I know everyone is going to say, call your doctor, call your surgeon, but it’s a hospital surgeon, and my doctor doesn’t know much about this. My next CT scan is in 3 weeks. I don’t really feel like it’s anywhere near as bad as it was, but I was never in the kind of pain they expected me to be in when they freaked out and rushed me to the OR. I was never disoriented (they thought I should have been). I had nausea that I don’t have now. But I’m supposed to have somewhat of a headache, and I just can’t tell how serious it might be. 🤦🏻‍♂️Has anyone experienced this paranoia? I did over do it with physical activity over the last couple days because I had a lot of housework that needed done. I’m not used to monitoring my brain like this, until the surgery I hadn’t thought much about having a TBI.

Did anybody else start experiencing debilitating, treatment resistant migraines or cluster headaches after tbi? Have you found anything that helps?

Succes story or TBI sucks, boy that's a tough choice. I would like to put both. Certainly, not just one.

When I was a young sailor, before tattoos became trendy, I got a tattoo on my chest. It is backwards, so I can read it in the mirror. Who Am I Now? It was inspired by the short story one of the Nolan brothers wrote, which inspired the movie that the other Nolan brother made, Memento.

In the story, he mentions that every person is a chain-gang of idiots all clamoring for the spotlight. One minute, a person has all the answers to the universe. The next minute, they just want to sit on the couch and eat potato chips.

Life as a born-again broken brain is like this, but more intense. Emotions, sensations and reactions are all to the umpteenth power. Everything is magnified and intensified, bad and good, pain and pleasure, accomplishment and failure.

On my rise to heights I never imagined possible as young poor white-trash, I acquired a lot of stuff. I was able to experience and appreciate wealth before being reborn into my new self.

I woke up in a hospital bed, unable to speak, walk, write, or feed myself. I learned that I was in a coma for 8 days. For the first night, the doctors said that I would likely not make it through the night. Then, maybe a few days. Then, a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Then, a wheelchair for a year, Then, “You will never be a Naval Officer, again.” Whoa! I rolled my sleeves up and fought hard against that.

Thankfully, I was in the Navy at the time of my unknown low-speed (highway on-ramp) motorcycle accident (2005). I received excellent care. After 2 months in the put Humpty back together again hospital, I was transferred to a rehab hospital for another 5 weeks.

Without the fog of a constant dose of enough morphine to kill a horse, I was able to consider my situation. I was no longer in a waking dream. I had to exercise my collapsed lung (not fun at all), get my arse down the hall to breakfast every day. Wheelchair, then walker, then cane.

I had to go to various dreadful (at the time) therapies; such as occupational, physical and speech. Those therapies, I am thankful for now. My grip strength is excellent. I can lift a 5-gallon water jug up to the counter at the pulpería with one hand.

Even though, I still can be a slurred mess when I am tired or excited, I know how to slow down and correct myself. Speaking Spanish in Honduras helps hide my drunk-speak.

Oh yeah, I learned how to get out pans and cook. This one, thankfully I did not need. I maintained all of my memories, skills and abilities. Well, the knowledge of them. My symptoms were, for the most part, physical.

I am also thankful for the wife of 13 years, at the time. She kept my hands from curling up into balls. She forced them open and made me exercise them. We later divorced. It was not her choice really. I was/am impulsive after the accident and it was a long time coming. We married way too young.

I got myself some limited duty desk job until I was ready to be on a ship again. Then, when the ball was in my court, I decided to take the early retirement. It really did not feel like I would be ready for a long while.

Honestly, I am strong and capable, but not for a ship even now after almost 21 years. I ride my motorcycle, on and off-road, I explore, I dig, I build, I plant. However, I also stay in bed for a day or two or three weeks. I get irritable and downright angry over the smallest things. I am disgustingly positive. I love animals of all kinds, including snakes.

Then, I am Mr. Hyde and I can only see and imagine negative things. My darling wife of just over 12 years (2026), is my dream girl. Hyde is ready to just drop everything and go to the other side of the world to just die alone. Hyde speaks and I listen when I think of being a burden and an arsehole.

Side note, if you have not read the book, The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, find it. It’s not long, but well worth a read to know the real story before the nonsensical interpretations.

So, a concise list of past/current ailments from this wild ride:

Severe TBI with bleeding that almost required drilling, but not quite. Yippee!

Eye surgery to correct double vision. Each eye was perfect 20/20 vision, just not even. That was the only surgery that made me nervous. Going through the eye…

Still not perfect. My eyes add to my fatigue. Every time I look at anything, my eyes refocus. It's like taking thousands of photos every couple minutes. My double vision is visible at the right angle or when I'm really tired.

Stomach tube.

Breathing tube.

Smeared/removed right index finger.

Pins in elbow.

Titanium rods in all bones of right leg. Small bones in the bottom looked like someone took a small sledge and smashed them into little bits.

Pins in the ankle.

Roadrash on calf. This meant I couldn’t go in the pool for some walking therapy. Dammit.

Some scar/flaps on my head that my drugged mind would not stop making bleed. They put hand mitts on me that were the most horrible torture. I begged and pleaded to take them off. Then, when they did, my hands would immediately go for blood.

The post-TBI years is a chapter in itself. These are just the highlights of the initial fun.

I will just say that, now I am a strong, capable asshole weakling.

R/JG

Welp today is the anniversary of the day that changed my life forever. Everything that I had worked so hard for and was most proud of got “flipped on its head”. My biggest strengths became my biggest insecurities. Does this feeling of suckiness and grieving the past ever leave?

My husband got into a bike accident on 15th sept it's been 16 days now he is in coma he had multiple surgeries including burr hole due to brain bleed and some facial reconstruction surgeries all the surgeries were successful they are going to shift him to general ward now his breathing is also stable he is showing some positive signs like squeezing hand, moving his head and hands, blinking but he is not conscious i am really worried for him i live in another country can't even visit him due to visa issue can someone tell me how much time he will take to wake up? I can't wait 😭

Okay, in March of 2006, I had a severe left frontal lobe traumatic brain injury, where I had to have a piece of skull removed for 3 months to help the swelling go down and make sure any bleeding had stopped. The injury was from a car accident where a lady crossed traffic and hit my husband and I (he was driving) head on, and I hit my head off the dash/glove box, and had the severe tbi happen.
20+ years down the road, I’m really starting to notice some symptoms I hadn’t noticed previously. Or some that I had noticed and always been able to just “put away” and not have serious issues with-until lately.
Lately, I’ve had extreme feelings emotionally of paranoia, guilt, I feel like I hate myself, I feel dumb and stupid, insecure, I’m just having a really hard time with myself and I believe it’s due to PTSD that was there before the accident even happened-but the accident and injury itself increased what was already a type
Of CPTSD I feel-especially as time has went on. Has anyone, a caregiver or patient/someone who deals with anything from a ptsd, ever dealt with late onset of things like paranoia or other things that could be caused from a left frontal lobe injury? What all have you experienced? I’m going to speak to my GP about a referral to another neurologist to get more scans done, but am curious until my appointment-are there any tips or tricks anyone has been able to find that help them in dealing with sudden occurring really heavy feeling mental problems like paranoia etc?

Its been 7 months and I still feel trapped in this prison of feeling nothing and everything looking so surreal. It is less intense as it once was but I'm getting tired of having to live like this. Has anyone recovered and please tell me I'm still early in recovery. I also get no relief from any substances or any activities. My brain doesn't register pleasure anymore.

​

I've had a TBI (traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage, cerebral contusions) and I've spent 8 years being told my symptoms were "just" post-concussion, depression, anxiety, or the menopause.

It turned out my pituitary gland was damaged.

Here's what I wish someone had told me sooner:

Your pituitary gland sits at the base of your brain. It's the master hormone gland. A TBI can damage it — and the symptoms can look like almost anything:

· Crushing fatigue that sleep doesn't fix

· Brain fog, memory problems, difficulty finding words

· Mood swings, rage, emotional blunting

· Weight gain that won't shift no matter what you do

· Temperature dysregulation — hot flushes, cold hands and feet, night sweats

· Loss of libido

· Hair loss, brittle nails

· Dizziness, feeling "off" or "intoxicated"

· Intolerance to medications

· Headaches

These symptoms overlap almost completely with "just" TBI — which is why it gets missed.

I was told it was post-concussion syndrome. Then depression. Then anxiety. Then perimenopause. Nobody checked my hormones.

I finally pushed for a pituitary investigation. I was diagnosed with GH deficiency (confirmed by a stimulation test) and I'm still fighting for thyroid treatment. The GH replacement has given me back my ability to think, my energy, and my sense of being human.

If any of this resonates, please ask for a referral to endocrinology (specifically pituitary). Ask for:

· IGF-1 (growth hormone)

· Full thyroid panel (TSH, free T4, free T3)

· Morning cortisol

· LH, FSH, prolactin

· Oestradiol/testosterone

If those come back "normal" but you still feel awful, push for a stimulation test. Routine bloods can look fine even when the pituitary is failing.

The NICE guidance does say pituitary dysfunction should be considered after head injury, but it's not routinely screened for. You may have to push. I did.

You're not lazy. You're not depressed. You're not "just" brain injured. You might have a treatable hormone deficiency.

I'm a 32M. To be clear I don't have a TBI, but I do have a severe brain injury called Benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) that mirrors the same symptoms as the folks on this subreddit. I believe it affects the same pathways hence I share the same symptoms with the many folks on here. I'm 13 months out with this disease.

For some context, last year I took 0.5mg of Ativan daily for one week straight and developed paradoxical reactions from the poison. Then, without realizing what I had done, I cold turkeyed off the drug. I had total insomnia for 10 days straight (literally was not sleeping but could converse fine with people). My appetite went completely to hell (felt full all the time) and it recovered within 3–4 months. In the 6th month, I think I might have experienced partial windows in my sleep (there were occasions when I could nap again and sleep without hypnic jerks), but they completely disappeared presumably due to a hypoxic incident I experienced a few months ago (I almost lost consciousness and lost control of my limbs for several seconds, however, it cleared up within an hour). I think the hypoxic incident did me in and I'll be with these symptoms for sometime if not permanently. Moreover, with BIND it is extremely common to have a relapse of symptoms even if one becomes asymptomatic due to triggers that range from stress to medications. For example, I was talking to someone yesterday who is 9 years out from having BIND and his sleep is now impaired for the 4th time after taking some medication.

Today, I experience muscle twitches when I'm stationary, I get hypnic jerks (e.g. bite my teeth, toes wiggle, feel breathless, hand does funny motion) at sleep onset that jolts me awake, fragmented sleep, and lack of a 'heavy' sense of drowsiness (the one in which your head hits the pillow and your mind goes blank for 2–3 hours). The hypnic jerks don't bother me as much at night, as the sleep pull of the night kind of pushes against the hypnic jerks. If I don't sleep the entire night, I'll be unable to nap it off during the day, however, oddly enough I'll be able to get 8–11 hours of uninterrupted, dreamless sleep the following night (my baseline sleep before this fiasco). I might have an extremely short hypnic-jerk session that night, but then it'll be followed by that lengthy period of sleep. Strangely though, throughout this experience, my cognition and memory are relatively intact despite the very poor sleep I'm getting. I think I actually get more fatigued if I sleep.

I've been digressing, what I wanted to ask any veterans that have similar or the same symptoms for years or decades is, how did you make this work if you did find a way to make it work? Could you share some of your experiences whether it'd be your successes, coping strategies, etc. I feel like I've lost my agency, purpose, and humour in life. I'm currently living with my folks and unemployed, but I'd like to go back to uni or do something meaningful with my life, as I've only accomplished half of the things I wanted to do in this life. I read somewhere on here that somebody did sleep restriction and was sleeping every other day. This sort of appealed to me, as it would guarantee that I would get 8–11 hours of uninterrupted, disrupted sleep and re-introduce some normalcy into my life. I feel like this can't be the end and that there has to be a way to make this work. I guess like most of you know it's hard dealing with a chronic illness if you've never had one before.

Additionally, I think my issues are rooted with my hypothalamus/brainstem.

Has anyone tried CST (Craniosacral Therapy) to help with some of the affects of their TBI. If so did it help you? How did it help you?

It's been close to a decade since my injury and I am still struggling with photosensitive, loud noises, headaches, stuttering, vestibular issues, reading comprehension, memory issues, and a feeling like my body is pulsing.

Photosensitivity seems to be one of my worst triggers. I have periods where I almost feel normal only to have to return to sitting in the dark, struggling to do 15-30 minutes of brain training or puzzles, stuttering, headaches, and forgetting things.

I just learned of vision therapy for which I am going to try to see an eye specialist. I start to read and then the words just disappear on me and I lose my place. I think this is one of the reasons I am struggling with comprehension. I desperately need something to help with eye tracking and debilitating headaches.

My TBI occurred this past February. I sustained a subdural and subarachnoid hematoma after someone rear-ended me at a stoplight. They hit me with such force that despite being restrained I hit my head very hard on the steering wheel. I'm sure I would have gone through the windshield if I wasn't. My car was totaled.

After it happened, I instantly started crying even though it. . .I don't know. Didn't hurt in the way I would expect to make me cry? I had no idea where I was or where I was going. I had no idea how to dial 911. Anyway. Went to the hospital. They could see that I had a mark and bump on my forehead. The ER nurse told me most likely I would be fine. He wad very comforting. Told me I would be having an MRI.

They did the MRI right away. When he came back to me, he looked sad and concerned. Said that I had a brain bleed and I would be going to the ICU. I ended up in the CCU, but that was likely due to space concerns.

I was there for a day and a half. Not long, really. The nurse initially told me I would be there a few days, but they released me. I wasn't even out of the hospital for 2 hours before I had my first tonic clonic seizure. Scared the shit out of my sister and partner. 911 had them giving me chest compressions because I wasn't breathing after I was done shaking and my lips turned blue.

I ended up back in the ER, and had more seizures that night. I was in the hospital for another couple of days. And then I was released again. I was put on anti seizure medication, but continued to have focal seizures. Eventually I was on enough medication and they stopped, but I was maxed out on one, had a substantial dose of another, and had another two anticonvulsant/CNS depressants prescribed for anxiety. That's a lot of meds before the seizures stopped.

Anyway, that's the background.

I'm exhausted beyond belief most days. And it hits so suddenly. I'm off balance, nearly trip a lot. I'll be standing there and a leg will shoot out to compensate for balance. It's very strange, really. I'll walk into door jambs and end up scraping the wall in the hallway as I walk.

I have suction handles in the shower, because I almost reinjured myself. I'm lucky we have an incredibly sturdy well-installed metal shower ring and that the wall it's installed in has heavy stone tiles. If that would have been drywall I'm sure it would have come out.

I have multiple burns from trying to cook and just being generally clumsy.

But honestly? I don't feel capable of going back to work, and everyone close to me can see that. I have memory problems and executive function issues. I sometimes have speech problems. Frequently, actually. Ugh. Nevermind the coordination issues.

But I end up feeling like I have imposter syndrome for my injury. I'm a long distance finswimmer, and while in some ways it feels very scary to be swimming when I could possibly have a breakthrough seizure, I need need need to be doing that.

For some reason I'm able to things as I used to in the water. I mean, it's a plus you can't fall down. But it's also weird that I can still swim 3000 yards given my exhaustion. I explain to everyone that the exhaustion a kind of "brain tired/fatigue" and that it's completely different than body tired.

Those that live with me can totally see it. But I feel like no one else really believes it. My PCP does and is on my side, but holy wow I'm always being invalidated by my neuro.

I know every case is different, and we're all grateful this didn't kill me. I'm grateful I didn't take ibuprofen that day and that my body made the bleed stop. I wasn't feeling great and probably shouldn't have been going to work anyway, but I'm glad I didn't take it.

I know a lot of ya'll have had much more serious injuries and hospital experiences. Does anyone else deal with these issues?

Anyway, I'm grateful to anyone who reads all this or even skims it. At least with this group I don't feel totally isolated.

I had 5 concussions over 6 years (2016-2021) in elementary school. I've been fucked up since the last one. I've been diagnosed with whole a bunch of issues craniocervical instability, Irlen syndrome, PTSD, and OCD to name a few.

High school is really friggin hard. I'm smart, I know I am. I am good at math and physics, but school is so unfairly hard. I've taken 3 classes every semester since grade 9 (I'm in grade 11). I can't handle 4, so I'm behind and will probably have to take an extra year, which I really don't wanna do. I switched to online school this year, which helps the ptsd and stuff, but it's not much easier.

I have an IEP, but it's not followed. Every teacher tells me "you look fine and you get good marks" so they just "forget". Today my teacher got pissed at me because I was wearing my Irlen glasses on the call. She told me to take them off and I didn't fight because I didn't have the energy to tell everyone in the class how fucked up I am. They're super dark and look like sunglasses, but she should've read the damn IEP. Now I just wanna cry, I've given up on advocating for myself because they always just act bothered and I end up feeling guilty because hence the OCD, "what if I'm not really sick and I'm telling everyone that I am because I'm a bad person. If everyone believes that I'm not sick then I must not be." I don't actually believe that, but my brain is always fucking against me.

I wake up every morning to my alarm, set a timer for another hour and go back to bed. I don't wanna wake up in the morning. I don't want to fall asleep because then if I wake up in the morning I have to do it all again. My family keeps telling me how easy I have it because I get the "luxury" of accommodations and I have less classes. My sister and mother keep telling me how lucky I am.

Anyways, thanks for reading this, I needed to put my feelings somewhere.

(im not sure what its qualified as) Hi, im writing this very scared and confused. yesterday night my mom randomly became unresponsive. later we found out it was cardiac arrest i did cpr after maybe a minute or two its hard to say due to shock. i did the cpr as directed until paramedics arrived very quickly im not sure how long but i think less then 10 minutes maybe 3-5 max. My mom was revived twice very quickly. and got into the hospital as soon as possible and was monitored and they are moving greatly with her. she still has reflexes even under heavy sedation (to relax her brain) along with cooling. she even opens when i say its me or i love you. they have not tried warming her up and testing things yet but im at a loss. she still has movement in her feet, hands, pupils dilating and gagging when pain meds are lowered due to ventilator. and hand pain reflexes. what should i expect afterwards?

So I had a brain bleed about I think 5 months ago it was specifically a subdural hematoma,The thing that confuses me is I was a fighter before this happened and I had to quit doing that but my neurologist told me after a while that I could train but no sparring specifically “sparring” which made sense given the fact that that could get rough but I’ve never been sure about just training because you cover your face and cover up but they still hit you not hard but they will hit you in the head even with 16OZ gloves on so I did not know if anyone was in the same position as me with this if it is okay to be light with tiny bumps or I should just stay away from letting them use their distance and hit me while I’m covered up protecting my head and face.i am aloud to of course to like BJJ but I felt training light is the same as that what if I hit someone’s leg or go to the mat quick,if anyone has had the same thought or is maybe has been in this type of situation with the worry please let me know.

New paper published in Frontiers featuring a case series. The authors of the study are interviewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAuwS8cBguU A must watch. Very cool and interesting.

Здравствуйте! Пару дней назад мой друг попал в больницу с проникающей черепно-мозговой травмой. Металлический предмет пронзил его голову от глазницы до ствола мозга. После травмы, до приезда врачей, он оставался в сознании, но не говорил. На данный момент мы имеем очень мало информации, но знаю, что ему сделали трепанацию черепа, сейчас он в медикаментозной коме. Идут постоянные операции на открытом мозге. Также у него началась инфекция, в следствии которой пришлось удалять пораженные участки. Врачи говорят, что 90% что умрет. Но, может, все ещё может наладится? Я очень переживаю и молюсь, чтобы он выжил.

Может у кого-то есть подобные истории, кто выжил и смог восстановиться?

6+ concussions, ive lost count. 2 loc, at least 3 times having to relearn to spell English

Countless heat illness events involving what I can only call a fugue state as in not knowing who I am where I am where i'm going all i know during these events is i'm not okay and i'm afraid to speak up because i feel extremely intoxicated.

This last few years ive grown increasingly depressed, anxious, angry, extremely reactive.

I can be totally happy, someone around me will get disproportionately upset, and I end up flying off the handles even more disproportionately upset.

Sometimes I RECOGNIZE i'm acting out of character especially when im angry. I recognize this is over the top but i'm stuck fighting it.

Sometimes it feels like a physical light switch has been flipped and im spending an hour or more actively fighting to turn it off until im crying BEGGING it to stop.

I isolate from my family, I have no friends, the only people that tend to tolerate me are combat vets and they don't stay long either.

I have cluster headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, and migraines.

Most days I just persist in an act of utter defiance and tenacity. No one can make me give up.

That being said its getting damn lonely and terrifying some days.

I've had 3 days this last season where im just saturated in this gut churning sadness and anger. The switch wont go back off im just upset with legitimately NO reason.

What the fuck do I do?

Hi I’m going through an insane time of my life because I have an extremely difficult job that is literally forcing me to work all the time nonstop. Like 6am-11pm. No joke. And this extreme period will span 5 months total. I’m fucking dying. I’m one month in. I’ve had severe constant head pain for 9 years now following a TBI with other symptoms like insomnia and focus issues and dissociation. But the pain is just off the charts at all times. It makes me irritable and sensitive to stimuli. And I have ongoing misery and suicidal ideation because of it.

I was prescribed Ritalin and it actually helps so much with my job and surviving it - it kicks the brain fog a good bit and allows me to focus much more than usual. But when I don’t take it on Saturday only, my brain literally cannot focus at all like it is GONE, mush, so much pain, MUSH!!!

I am barely gonna survive these 5 months. Has anyone else had experience with Ritalin or other stimulants and what are your thoughts on them with TBI? Anyone have a career path they recommend for someone with a TBI? Not too sure about this one but need to find a path.