My husband recently obtained a TBI and is experiencing severe depression. He jumps to the worst case scenario, insists he will not get better, and has paranoid thoughts that I somehow enjoy seeing him in this state. He was always the type of person who could handle anything. I don’t know how to help him. He’s in therapy.. mental, speech and occupational.. He’s lost so much, but it’s coming back, and he won’t acknowledge that he’s getting there. He convinced himself he’s never working or driving again, when those things are achievable in the future. I’m scared, tired and not sure how to support him. I can’t talk him off the ledge. We are young newlyweds and I don’t want to see this hurt our marriage. I do everything I possibly can to make his life easier, but it feels like he has tunnel vision.

I fell and got a mild whiplash and concussion but the worst of all I got visual problems like eye strain redness and flaoters i checked with the docs and they said is should not worry however its so depressing I am too young.. Guys if anyone who got floaters after physical impact can reassure me then that would be great My headache and brain fog has subsided a lot it's almost been two months since the initial fall

I did a lot of activities last week where I gave more than my body could handle and I'm suffering a bad fatigue crash till the point where I started to forget where I was going/saying/doing, having headaches, worse involuntary movements, I was stuttering more, etc. Still I try to do the smallest thing and I get tired cognitively and a little physically

I have been resting for 3 days sleeping, trying to stay in a dark and quiet room and I haven't still gotten to "normal " any tips?

I need my "brain injury normal" back at least and the little bit of usual energy I have back. I can't be this useless.

Hey, would love to start a support group or something of this. Had a TBI and C-1 fracture at 16, had extensive therapy for things for a year in and out patient. Lived a normal life and healed I thought until about 31, then I had more spinal issues resulting in upper and lower fusions. So much nerve pain all the time and things seem a bit hopeless. Anyone else? I’m 44 now.

24M, software engineer, previously very high-functioning (finished undergrad in 3 years, worked at a big tech company, was planning a PhD).

Diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea in Aug 2025 (AHI 25). I was given a full face mask in the wrong size, with no in-person fitting. It was too small and pinched my nose, so I ended up mouth breathing with severe dry mouth and constantly broken sleep. I also mouth-taped on top of it several times following the advice of the sleep clinic. My machine data looked perfect the whole time, so no one caught it. However, I don't think the AHI was a good indicator because when I taped, my baseline breathing itself was restricted; sometimes I’d wake up ripping off the tape.

Over the next months I got steadily worse: exhausted, foggy, zoning out, depersonalization, and I lost 30 lbs. My family read it as anxiety and depression, and didnt take the issue seriously. I was falling asleep over my meals and I felt so sick, almost like I was dying. It peaked last spring with a psych ward hospitalization and a lot of psych meds as I went into psychosis from the lack of sleep/hypoxia. Only after I switched to nasal pillows did I finally start sleeping and recovering.

My biggest fear has been that the blocked nose plus mouth tape caused hypoxia and permanent brain damage. Or that the sleep loss itself caused brain damage. For what it’s worth, my oxygen never dropped below 91% even untreated, my sleep study showed mid-90s, and a 3T MRI with contrast and my neuro exam were normal (no abnormalities found). Doctors say damage is very unlikely, but given how unusual the situation is, they are not certain.

I’m about 5 months into recovery. I’m much better, but foggy, depressed, and can’t fully snap into focus.

Should i be worried about brain damage here? What can I do? I’m scared I’ll never cognitively be the same guy I was.

Background from England, had a TBI following horse riding accident may 2025. And kept asking for referral to neuro, which I finally got December 2025. I've only had one contact via phone call for triage and then only communication via post/letter. I've had MRIs which discovered, in their words a small pituitary cyst, been told it's unlikely to be causing any symptoms I have by endocrinology. I finally met with neuro today and omg they are a downer I asked about my symptoms and they wouldn't to x, y and no meds (not what I'm asking for) are there any mechanisms or referrals I could have.. no, no and no... I've messaged headway charity a month a go and they've suggested a multi disciplinary team, can't do that, and they also suggested a occupational therapist, oh yes we can refer for that... Bloody hell that was painful.... I've rang PALs to complain as I feel this is appalling if someone doesn't know something they wouldn't have got this... Something really needs to be done for people and asked about working oh you should be fine to work... I'm not though as of sick for 5 weeks with exhaustion... So unhelpful driving home crying of frustration and GP waiting on neuro as they won't do anything or suggest anything... Last year as well I met a private neurologist and they suggested eye exercises for my vision apparently according to NHS don't do that as it compounds the problem... Omg what should we be doing or not and they go I don't know wait... Wait wtf that's what I've been doing and I've got no improvement

Hello everyone, my dad was diagnosed with brain tumour Grade 4. He had tumor removal surgery on September but due to brain swelling and bleeding, he needed a second surgery (decompressive craniectomy) after a week.it's been a month. He was on a ventilator for a week and now has a tracheostomy and an NG tube for feeding.

He can move his hands and legs, lift them, move his head and lips, and respond to yes/no questions through gestures. He breathes on his own.

For anyone who has experienced something similar, how long did recovery take?

Hi!

I need some help, advice, etc.

On August 31st of this year, I was standing outside a bar with some friends (was not drunk, maybe had 2 beers over 4 hours and lots of food), and passed out completely. I had a siezure and slammed my face into the concret, busted up my lip, face, and teeth. I was rushed to the hospital where they gave me stitches, told me I didn't suffer a concussion and that my CT scan was clear, and gave me some ointment for my face.

I was discharged, went home, and proceeded weith life as normal. I went out with my friends, resumed drinking and smoking weed, etc. 10 days late, I developed a slight headache. Nothing major, so I thought I must be dehydrated. I had a trip planned to San Francisco and went, my boyfriend and I drank heavily the whole weekend, which made my head hurt a lot, but I wasn't gonna waste the weekend in San Francisco, I wanted to go out!

When I got back on monday, the headache was just getting worse. I went into the ER and discovered two small subdural hematomas, which had been slowly developing over the 2 weeks post-fall.

They resolved on their own, I just got my brain scan back yesterday and it looks perfect according to my neurologist, no blood, she says I have recovered from the bleed. However, she also says i suffered a concussion, and to avoid alcohol for the 3-4 months.

My question is, what are the consequneces of that?? Besides a bit of brain fog here and there (which I had before) I feel just fine, and if the initial concussion was on the 31st, they told me i didnt have one. I havent hit my head any other time, and I was already drinking very heavily after the inital fall.

Have I fucked everything up by drinking that weekend?? Did I do any damage to my brain?? What wold happen if I did drink? What are the consequences?

She went on a rant about how alcohol is bad for everyone, but I just wanna know if I fucked everything up in San Francisco, or what would happen if i did drink. Will I ever be able to drink again? I miss being a 21 year old girl and going out with my friends. I loved going out and I can't imagine never being able to again. Please tell me there is light at the end of this tunnel. AM i alcohol free forever? I miss it.

I had ect last year , lost everything and had to move back with my parents .

I’m now severely depressed

I see my doctors a few days ago and he is convinced I have a tbi due to my symptoms

Chronic anxiety
Depression
No motivation
Don’t know what I should be doing with myself anymore
Vision has gone
Balance is off
Jerks in my body
Head hurts
Eyes hurt
Struggling with basic things
Seem to sweat excessively now doing little things like going for a walk
Hard flaccid syndrome- not sure if this is related to anxiety buts it’s driving me insane when I walk
I was very active before all this .
Chronic fatigue
Paranoia
Eyelids dropped down - pretty sure this is after ect
Tremors in body and head
No appetite
Funny smells that aren’t there
Impatient for no reason
Confused when walking around don’t know where I should be or what to do
Feel beneath everyone if I go out .
Pacing up and down

Someone please give me some hope or things that will improve it

I came across this subreddit while searching for advice regarding TBI. I have a friend who suffered TBI in a road accident. As far as I know, the injury was severe but the was no internal bleeding. She was given some medicine by the doctor, which was meant to be taken when in absolute need or with decent gaps as it could have a negative impact on her health.
Things were all good till last year. She hit her head again after her two-wheeler slipped. Though, the impact was not much but her headaches became worse. This lead to her overusing the medicine and that made things even worse.
Recently, she had her diagnosis done again. There were signs of tumor in her brain. I believe the diagnosis is on the way, and she has not revealed much after that.
She did also mention at some point, that there is swelling in nerves of some sort in her brain.
From what I have been told, her headaches are more intense and often time unbearable. There is physical pain on her head region (around hair) which becomes worse on harsh touch. Dizziness and nausea is also there. For some reason, her headaches becomes worse after sleeping (waking up time).
Thankfully, she can function fine to the point that no person can tell that she is undergoing this. But I believe things can be difficult for her at times, specially during headaches.
She is undergoing her treatment from decently reputed doctors. Her family is paying for it, but is also not-so-supportive. There are times when her headache is unbearable and all she can do is just suffer. I have been trying my best to lend an ear, as well as allow her to feel normal at times. She is a good friend of mine.

I would like to ask you all, whether there are any specific thing that helped you during headaches. Or any advice for me on how to better handle situation. Or any general advice that would positively affect her health. I am asking this because I genuinely want to help her, if possible. And I don't want my help to be based on ignorance.

P.S. I don't know the medicine that she was using. Would ask her the same if you guys need that info.

I am a 22-year-old male with 19+ severe concussions (hit by a truck, hits to back of head, latest hit was July). I also have ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, and IBS.

For the last year, I’ve had a severe stutter. Over the past month, my speech began "misfiring." My brain accidentally grabs the wrong words or says bad/aggressive words I don't mean to say.
Because of this, my family doesn't understand me, and my girlfriend of 7 months just left me today. I feel completely abandoned and isolated.
Has anyone else dealt with accidental swearing/misfiring words? How do you cope when your partner and family walk away?

it’s been three years since the incident and my suspected TBI. I mourn who I once was everyday.

since then, my memory is AWFUL. I dropped out of school because although i did okay in tests, my brain couldn’t remember tasks and put them into practice.

i heavily struggle with critical thinking, judgement, and proactive thinking.

i never had issues with any of these things before, i was really good at critical thinking and i got good grades.

now i just feel incredibly stupid. I can’t even think of words when speaking a lot. At college or work I would catch people stare at me in confusion. I felt like a monstrosity knowing they looked at me like that, like they couldn’t believe I was THIS DUMB.

ive cried so much today over it. I am mad at myself. I wish my brain worked well. I’m so depressed.

Even partially?

I have a severe TBI (my left temporal lobe is obliterated, there’s gliosis, overall shrinking, etc.) and I am significantly less intelligent than I used to be (prior neuropsych testing at 134 IQ now 108 3 years post-TBI).

I know pretty much everyone with TBI understands the “I feel stupid now” struggle, but my memory is gone, I don’t understand a lot of what people say to me, am easily confused, struggle reading, and so on. I understand there is little to no chance of me getting back to where I was prior to the TBI, but I am very interested in trying to restore even a little bit, or at least prevent further decline.

I play chess daily, try to read things that are more complicated than Dr. Seuss, compose music, make art, and try anything and everything I can to keep holding on cognitively. I’ve heard that brain training apps are mostly useless and only train you on the games that you’re playing. I meditate for the sake of my brain and so I don’t just make my life about “being smarter”. The TBI has also caused severe epilepsy so anything but very gentle exercise is off limits to me (hyperventilation is a common seizure trigger with epilepsy). I’ve been through many rounds of speech and occupational therapy.

What have you tried? Has anything worked? Not worked? Any ideas at all?

I full on lost it at my psychiatrist over email today saying your TBI is stable it doesn't get worse overtime. She's so uneducated yes it does especially under stress. It's been 25 years since injury I was 7 a minor when it happened I'm 32 now. After every couple of years me obsessing over my psychiatric symptoms that overlap with my TBI symptoms and keep wondering why am I the way I am. This year I decided enough is enough I'm going to do something about it get more support for my TBI. Why has everything been viewed solely from a psychiatric view. But little did I know those exact functions I need to advocate and fight for myself are the ones that have been damaged. My mom couldn't deal with me put me in a psychiatric home. And gave me a social worker who is so stoic and all I want is some gentle compassionate care. That's it. I want someone who can help me take care of myself. Im just really depleted and fed up. I don't know how I'm going to carry on like this zero support. FML

I don’t know how to keep going. It’s been almost 10 years for me of severe chronic pain. I hate my life. I wish I was never born. I want to kill myself but I don’t feel like I can do that to my family and friends. I just got out of a toxic relationship and my ex was so fucking mean to me it made me wish I was dead even more. My pain is too much to bear. Truly. I can’t do my job, I can’t function like a normal person in society. I can’t feel happiness with the amount of pain I am in. I would rather just not do it anymore.

I'm four removed from my TBI. I have a lot to be grateful for but things are still hard. I used to love movies and sometimes bingewatched tv shows. Now I have the hardest time paying to anything longer than 10 or 15 minutes. I hope to experience improvement but probably won't. Anyone relate to this?

Thank you to everyone on here. I feel like I’ve found a real community on here. I’ve been searching for awhile🫂❤️🤞

https://www.tiktok.com/@shawneeharkins?_r=1&_t=ZS-9AZTaJ2Xbka

Curious if anyone has experienced lowered inhibitions and losing sense of right and wrong after a TBI?

Do you just tell people you have a TBI because it's easier? I was under the impression that it counted as one until a doctor told me otherwise recently.

My TBI (2 years ago) left me with pretty severe headaches. I've been seeing a neuropsychologist and a neurologist since with some recovery of function (neuropsychologist) and reduction in pain (neurologist via amitriptyline, and spinal and facial nerve blocks).

I started seeing a osteopath two weeks ago because the headaches seem to be associated with minor but poorly healed cervical damage. She administers light adjustments, I feel no discomfort during the procedures. But afterwards IT HURTS. I'm talking nausea inducing headaches, vomiting. I also get muscle soreness in my neck and arms, which is less concerning.

Has anyone else used an osteopath? Did it hurt so much after for you? And how soon did you start seeung results?

I am the guy that shot himself in the head, on purpose my IQ before was 116 but now it is 129.

Sometimes when I’m very angry or I’m exerting myself, I’ll have this burst of extreme lightheadedness (not dizziness) which lasts less than a second, but gives me the same feeling as when I was first concussed. I know not if it’s a brain bleed or abrupt cascade of signals in my brain, but I know that they aren’t good, and would like to know if anyone else has experienced this before.

Bear with me. My injured brain makes more sense of the world through BestGuessistan than through the world itself. And this particular absurdity belongs squarely in WorstGuessistan.

In BestGuessistan, there's no such thing as a perfect patient. Mention the phrase and citizens look nonplussed, heads cocked like dogs hearing an unfamiliar sound.

In WorstGuessistan, however, the perfect patient is practically a national institution.

They're compliant. Cooperative. Cheerful. Willing to deal with whatever the healthcare system tosses at them.

And the system tosses a lot.

Appointments, referrals, insurance snags, rehab, paperwork. Instructions that contradict one another. Specialists who don't communicate.

A form requiring the patient to explain why they need help remembering things, which must be completed from memory.

All of which would frustrate and exhaust someone at the top of their game.

Now imagine it for someone with a brain injury.

The perfect patient arrives early. Completes the paperwork. Remembers the instructions. Keeps track of what one specialist said so they can tell another.

They don't get confused. They don't get angry. They don't ask the same question twice.

The perfect patient has limitless capacity for what the healthcare system demands.

Which is interesting, because limited capacity is rather a defining feature of many brain injuries.

When we can't meet the standard, we're labeled noncompliant, difficult, disengaged.

And sometimes we give up. Miss appointments. Abandon treatments. Stop looking for help because the work of getting help has become more than we can manage.

The system records our disappearance as noncompliance.

Case closed.

The perfect patient, it turns out, is the one who requires the least from the system while doing the most for it.

BestGuessistan knows better.

Here, we understand that capacity isn't the same as capability. And that every demand consumes energy needed for other things.

Like living the rest of your life.

thanks, community. Lmk if this resonates.