Post-concussion symptoms can be diverse, fluctuating, and often invisible, making daily life feel incredibly challenging. Understanding these common issues, based on my own struggles and research, can help validate your experience and guide management strategies. Symptoms might appear immediately or, confusingly, develop over time. It often felt like my body was under attack.
Cognitive Symptoms ("Brain Fog")
The cognitive fog was thick and frustrating. It felt as though I had woken up from a dream but was still hazy and out of it, except this feeling lasted for months.
- Concentration/Focus: Trouble staying on task, easily distracted. Following conversations felt impossible sometimes.
- Memory Problems: Forgetting recent info (even minutes later), appointments, instructions; difficulty retaining new details. For me, putting things in the wrong place (like the salt shaker in the fridge) became alarming. Consider using a Journal/Planner.
- Slowed Thinking: Feeling mentally sluggish or hazy.
- Word-Finding Issues: Struggling to recall the right words, resorting to describing things ("that shiny thing... for food things..." instead of "fork").
- Executive Functions: Challenges with planning, organizing, decision-making.
- Mental Fatigue: Cognitive tasks quickly become draining.
My memory suffered... When people would talk to me I would quickly lose focus... My mind could not make sense of them...
Physical Symptoms
The physical toll was constant and exhausting. It felt like my body was falling apart.
- Headaches/Migraines: Frequent or persistent head pain. Sometimes felt like intense pressure.
- Profound Fatigue: Overwhelming physical and mental exhaustion. Some days, just getting out of bed or showering felt impossible.
- Dizziness/Balance Issues: Feeling unsteady, lightheaded, or experiencing vertigo. I found myself holding onto counters or walls.
- Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia; difficulty falling/staying asleep, waking often. An Eye Mask or Blackout Curtains might help.
- Nausea/Vomiting: Can be linked to other symptoms like movement or visual strain.
- Neck/Jaw Pain: Often related to the injury mechanism, like whiplash. Chewing became difficult.
- Vision Problems: Blurred/double vision, eye strain, tracking issues. Reading became very difficult, like looking underwater.
- Autonomic Issues: Problems regulating heart rate, temperature, digestion. Felt like my body was stuck in 'fight or flight' (sympathetic state) with rapid heart rate, temperature swings (freezing/sweating), and slowed digestion.
Sensory Sensitivities & Processing
Difficulty filtering or interpreting sensory input became a major hurdle, turning everyday environments hostile. It felt like sensory overload or "flooding".
Light Sensitivity (Photophobia)
Discomfort from light sources. Bright lights, even sunlight, felt physically painful, sending sharp pains into my brain. Fluorescent lights buzzed and flickered unbearably. Sunglasses or specialized glasses may help.
Consider: Blue Light Glasses or FL-41 tints (Style 1 / Style 2).
Sound Sensitivity (Hyperacusis, Misophonia)
Sounds feel amplified, painful (like stabbing the brain), or irritating (misophonia). High pitches or lawn equipment were triggers for me. Hyperacusis involves the over-amplification of sound in auditory pathways. Vestibular hyperacusis can affect balance, while cochlear hyperacusis causes discomfort/pain. Earplugs or headphones offer relief.
Consider: Loop Quiet / Loop Switch or Noise-Canceling Headphones.
Motion Sensitivity
Visual or physical motion triggers dizziness or nausea. Being a passenger in a car was incredibly uncomfortable due to tracking issues, bumps, and light flicker.
Other Sensitivities
Heightened sensitivity to touch (even blankets hurt), smells (fragrances causing headaches), or changes in taste.
Consider: Aromatherapy Diffusers.
Some sounds felt as though they were literally stabbing my brain... Sound became my enemy...
Emotional & Mood Changes
The emotional rollercoaster was intense and isolating. It felt like I lost important parts of myself.
- Irritability & Frustration: Lower tolerance for stress or symptoms. I found myself reacting angrily over small things.
- Anxiety & Worry: Concerns about recovery, symptoms, future, and anxiety caused by overstimulation.
- Depression & Sadness: Feelings of hopelessness, loss, apathy, grief. It felt like mourning the loss of my old life.
- Mood Swings/Emotional Lability: Heightened sensitivity.
- Feeling Isolated or Misunderstood: Due to invisible nature of symptoms. Isolating myself felt easier sometimes.
It's no wonder most TBI patients also suffer from depression... You are mourning the loss of your old life...
Impact on Daily Life
These symptoms combine to affect everything, making simple tasks incredibly hard:
- Work/School Performance
- Household Management (cleaning felt impossible)
- Social Participation (felt isolating)
- Driving Ability (became reliant on others)
- Loss of Independence & Confidence
Navigating these requires patience, adaptation, effective strategies, and support.