Adult Life after a Traumatic Brain Injury

Some of your symptoms do sound a bit like hyperesthesia . After my TBI 31 years ago I was very sensitive to noise (less now) and some odors (perfume); brain trauma can damage the filters we use to shut out irrigating noises and such (including hubby slurping soup....AAAHHH). Here are some links in case any are useful: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1564487/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563125/ https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-hyperesthesia

I've had 4 concussions since 2014. The mood "changes bothered me the most bc my spouse was the affected one. Over the years they have lessened in frequency and intensity. What we did during the hardest time was to agree that I would go to a quiet place where I could just be. That would reorient me and I could join my family again. That might be harder with children, I know. But explain it to them and it might calm things down.
Blessings to you and your family.

Hi, @lanieg - I'm guessing that others who've experienced a traumatic brain injury to various severities can relate to you with going through mood changes. What types of mood changes did you experience after your 4 concussions? How did you feel these mood changes affected your spouse?

I was quick to anger at any little trigger. For example, if she questioned why I had done something I would yell or cry for no apparent reason. I felt like I was falling apart. No control over my reactions. I know they affected my spouse in that she was afraid to talk to me, she was fearful of my reaction to he and she was afraid I didn't love her anymore. It almost destroyed us.

My emotional filters were stripped after my moderate TBI 31 years ago (took a few years to rewire my left temporal and basal frontal lobes). I withdrew from people because I was vulnerable. I wasn't in a relationship, but a few bullies and clueless people at work would joke about me being brain damaged, or called me "drame bamaged" and "brain dead". Each time I felt like I was gut punched. It stopped after a year when I told the bully I was going to contact HR. I was able to get caught up on work and finished my PhD during that year (so I wasn't much fun to be around anyway). Amazing what we can accomplish even when we are a few neurons short of a full deck.

Hi, @kayabbott - I'm sorry to hear people at work were calling you "drame bamaged" and "brain dead" 31 years ago or so after your moderate TBI. It's understandable you felt gut-punched each time this occurred. Kudos to you for telling a person who was saying things like this to you that you were going to contact HR.

I recall you said your TBI recovery took 8-10 years. Do you feel like your emotional filters are back now? If so, how long did it take for this to happen? Do you have any other suggestions for relating to others when you feel like your emotional filters are stripped after a TBI?

Regarding stripped emotional filters, give yourself time and space to recover. If the world is crowding in on you then find escapes into books, TV, music, exercise, or wherever you feel safe. If someone is confrontational (a low bar with TBIs) then back off rather than engaging. Find people or TBI counselors that you can talk with about what you are going through.

My filters are all in place. The emotional filters took 1.5 years, and corresponded to completing my dissertation and graduating with a PhD. I realized that I was beating up on myself for not doing well enough, and it didn't hit me (so to speak) that I accomplished a lot under difficult conditions. To recover from TBIs takes a lot of mental, physical, and emotional work and one doesn't always see how hard it is until it is in the rearview mirror.
The only lasting damage from my TBI was minor balance (damage to left inner ear), possibly slightly suppressed smell and taste (olfactory bulbs), and some aphasia: finding and remembering words and numbers. Considering that I wrote papers as a research scientist, it isn't bad enough to limit me. The longest recovery was driving and tasting beef, getting back to 100% on driving took about 8 years because I could see the subtle differences between before and after. Driving is surprisingly complicated, juggling a lot of info and stimuli at the same time.

I have had several severe head injuries since the age of six. I seem to remember all the injuries, but as of two years ago when the van almost crushed my head, I have lost all inhibition, Like I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Who I am. I feel as if I am the tip of the needle to the record of life. Nothing is real anymore. Is there any help out there.

I remember the loss of inhibition from my head injury. Let me know if I am misreading your message. Some is waiting for the brain to heal, but setting new habits helps. When things would happen, I would work on waiting a few seconds before reacting. Even things like a person asking you a question, because you are retraining your brain. It takes time to reset, but worked for me. Talking with a therapist that specializes in head injuries would be good because there are likely other tools.
A couple of months after my accident a friend and I drove to a national park. A woman stopped her car in the middle of the lane. Instead of waiting for her to move, I drove around her (I wouldn't have done this pre-injury). No incoming cars, but it was a double yellow lane. So, the parks police stopped me and gave me a ticket for illegal passing. He was showing off to an understudy and was very condescending. I mailed in the check and ticket, but did call his supervisor and suggested he talk to visitors in a more respectful way. They lost the check and didn't contact me, instead a Federal Marshall called me from Salt Lake a few months later and said they is a warrant for my arrest. We talked, and I sent in a new check and made sure it was cashed. Another problem with head injuries is some people treat you differently. I'd never been treated like a bimbo before. I hope you have a good support network, because most folk don't realize what level of hell one lives in with a head injury.

FINALLY! People like myself!
Hello!
I have suffered a very serious TBI about 4 years ago (wow, has it really been that long!?) I was injured by a few men while living at my worst possible way of living. So I blame myself for being in that awful environment and blame myself for being so young on these streets thinking no one would hurt me! Fast forward to now it doesn’t matter why, how, or any of that…I still got this dang TBI tho…and had to return the the town where everyone remembered the old Emma, and she’s sadly gone from this injury. I finally tonight googled TBI and found this written by you guys. And as much bad stuff as I read…it placed this huge smile on my face. Because there’s no one that understands how I didn’t mean to but have some how changed completely into a different person only you guys seem to know anymore. I used to LOVEEEE 24/7 being around people, friends,anyone! Now I sit at home, mostly in my room alone. I suffer from anger that is just from no where and will scream at anyone “ STOP BREATHING SO LOUD!” Knowing damn well they can’t help it. And as for memory…that it’s almost most annoying because the doctors give me these memory tests that I pass but that’s not the type of memory I have problems with. If someone says do you remember so-and-so and I was just with that person yesterday…doesn’t matter..I still can’t tell you who that is because names don’t ring a bell in my head unless I say that name like every day a bunch of times type of interaction i mostly can’t tell you who that person is by the name you are giving me. That’s super annoying.
So here I am back at “ home” and that’s why I stay in my room..I was one of those loved people that everyone likes to be around and I don’t want to change that, which lets be real..it would…with my TBI, your TBI. WITH TBI! Only a very few people can deal with me anymore..and I know they don’t understand me, but they still love and deal with me so I’m crazy thankful. But to finally read entries written by people who are just like me, that has brought a genuine joy to me. A feeling that I don’t feel for myself too very often anymore so thank you!