Brain Injury Support Group

Depression is linked with brain injuries for several reasons. The lose of abilities is hard on a person. There can also be chemical changes. There are some good sites that give info. Do a google search.
I know finanical debt from medical expenses are not fun... but i really recomend that you have some testing so you know what areas are injured. This can give you info for treatments and help you understand what happened or is still happening. Also dr. and hospitals will work with you for payments. The laws protect the patient so long as you pay at least 5$ to 10$ a month. My anxiety comes out when i am in pain. even small low grade pain can make a person anxious. Do you know if your depression is chemical or situational or even both? Are you near a university? Many universities have council's programs that are less expensive. You may get a student in training but they are monitored by qualified people. Some churches also have trained councilpersons. I know this is tough and scary. I am frustrated because insurance will no provide anymore therapy. I need help with therapy and encouragement. What i have found from what people say here on this chat is that they have had to do alot on their own or find creative ways. I am using a childs talking machiine called a Smart Talk to help me relearn vocabulary and speacing.
I am sure i have rabbled on long enough.. best wishes truely. We are all here to listen and really care.

ONe of the things that helped me was to acknowledge my anger!! I would get so mad and i would talk about it with my husband. grief has a cyle and that is helpful to know. is is something like... depressed, denial, anger, accptance, and then moving on. many times we get stuck in one of the grief places and do not move on. When i was and still am grieving my loses I would cyle through the phases only to do it again in a few weeks or months... It might help to look up info about grieving. Just mean to be helpful. really hope things get better for you.

I've had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for five + years now and I've had depression and anxiety since then most of the time. Getting a "head bump", as I affectionately call it, can change the brain's chemicals like happychi mentioned. My doctor has told me this multiple times. Anti depressants can help some people. I've taken Lexapro and Cymbalta. There is no magic pill that solves everything, and I think seeing a counselor helps along with medication. As you've probably learned having a brain injury of any kind (yes, there are different kinds if you research it) can change your life forever! Look at your example of Andre Waters and how brain injuries effected his life!!! Living with a brain injury is very hard, and many people grieve. They grieve the person they used to be. They grieve the skills and abilities they once had and no longer have due to the injury. They grieve the difference in personality. They grieve how people treat them differently and how they feel different. Its a lot of things, I'm just naming a few. When people grieve anger often happens. Anger is a secondary emotion. Than means it comes after something, in this case another emotion: hurt. When we're hurt it makes us angry. For example, when somebody insults you get mad, because it hurts your feelings. Makes sense, right?

I have anxiety attacks too, where I can't handle stuff and hyperventilate (or freak out pretty much). Its embarrassing in public because people don't often understand. Over time I've learned to avoid situations that cause such attacks, like fatigue, dehydration, stress, emotional upset, and so forth. But life is uncertain and we can't plan for everything. Believe me, I know! Medication (like anti depressants or something else your doctor might suggest) can help. Breathing techniques and other relaxations methods work wonders too. Research some of that if that sound like something that might work for you. Biofeedback is helpful for some people too, I liked it. I also had acupuncture for relaxation, which helped. If you have limited funds I understand you might not be able to do all of this. But breathing is free (thank goodness, LOL) as is other relaxation techniques. And the people here at daily strength are always here to talk, listen, support, teach, give feedback, and hug! =)

Its very hard to live with a brain injury, yet lots of us do it everyday. Every 15 seconds in the U.S. somebody gets a BI, sad as that statistic is. Remember you are NOT alone. We're here on this brain injury board to talk, lend support & comfort to each each, and teach each other. I've felt like everything is hopeless at times and I've considered suicide. But I could never do it, for several reasons.(that's another story for another day) Remember you are not alone in your depression and anxiety, and we're here to talk & support you! Hugs!!!
~Katie

I also took Lexapro and when that stopped working I began Cymbalta. I began on meds 3 months after my injury when I suddenly and for no reason became suicidal. My neuro said it was caused by the physical damage to my brain. I have found that the med puts a "floor" on my depression. I still get depressed, but only so far. It doesn't go all the way to suicidal anymore.

What really helps me is allowing myself to feel anger, depression, frustration, grief etc. about the effects of my TBI. especially the loss of my old self.

Denial feels like a comfortable friend, but it is actually a dangerous enemy.

Kerin

I can't talk about traumatic brain injury, but I CAN talk about strokes, which I think may be considered a type of brain injury. Even if not, I've had six procedures done to re-route blood vessels through and around my brain. I agree with happychi's info about depression and brain injuries, or at least that's what happened to me.

Check into a large, teaching University Hospital. They may have some way for you to get some type of test done. If you think that there is some...structural damage...it is best to find out what it is as soon as possible and for the depression to get on the right medicine.

Yes, I too am a survivor and the joy of that would make my life GREAT or so you'd think. After my TBI accident, they immediately put me on zoloft and after two years, I had a psychopharmacologist to deal with all my meds and I had him take me off it. My accident severly changed my life and I think it's taken 5 years for my healing brain to comprehend it so I just asked my new doctor for zoloft again. I was just unhappy with my anxious and crazy thoughts and now my neurologist says that YES it's my brain's fault and so meds are a good answer.Good luck with everything!! xoxo Gabby

Interesting your comment on Zoloft. My psychologist perscribed it to me. I took it for two days. I felt like I wasn't all "here". I'm a very religious person, so I prayed about staying on Zoloft. I was prompted that I could stay on Zoloft and be fine with my inabilities. Or have the frustration-depression in order to motivate me. I believe that any emotional distress only occurs if we are able to do something to make our lives better. God gives us no challenge that we're unable to overcome. These drugs numb the motivating powers. No one is supposed to be depressed. If something depresses us, it is only because we can get better, and we need to know that and work on our lives...

Hi there. My injury occurred in 1990, and as a result I have epilepsy, migraines and depression. The depression has been more sever since just before xmas (one of my meds for epilepsy made it worse), but I've had depression for about ten years. I also get angry more often than I used to, and the thing that sets me off could be big or small.

I am not overly objective, and I'm sure my folks would have a better view of the changes in me than I am. I think it's hard to see what's going on with me when I'm smack dab in the middle of it, you know?

I have a very particular experience with head injury and anxiety. My skull was pressing in on the top and it seemed to generate anziety, like ambient, like a certain level was always in the air. Well, I've had great success with NeuroCranial Restructuring and my last sesion was partly to address that anxiety. Its like 10% of what it was after my last 4 day series, proving to me that the constant anxiety was physically generated. The change was immediate and that's what made it so noticable. I can still get would up, but it was like background noise... that part is history !!

I had/have depression, more so the first eight months after my TBI. Anxiety? That too, that comes and goes still. If I have a day where I feel like I'm sliding and not making any headway and don't feel like "my old self", I get filled with anxiety.

I've tried to accept the new me, I like to think that I just added another dimension to my personality :)

kim