Post Concussion Syndrome #101 & THE BEAT GOES ON!

ITALIAN HEATHERAND THE BEAT GOES ON:

I have been in contact with the Administraion of Post Concussion Syndrome, which is a private group made up of over 3300 members and unfortunately growing.  The formal name is Post Concussion Syndrome Awareness UK and Worldwide.  They state on their information that this about Bringing Awareness, News, Education and Discussion for Post Concussion Survivors worldwide….This is a direct quote out of the Actual Website, which I encourage anyone who is affected by a fall, accident, or whatever that has caused your concussion.

At first I looked at the information, but I was now hurting terribly and could not share.  As a psychologist, now with my own set of medical issues and coping was needing sharing and discussion.

It is my fervent belief system that in my own private practice over the years, that group therapy is a perfect adjunct to private therapeutic intervention.  The two can go hand and hand.  Knowing that this is not only good for my patients, that it certainly could not be anything but an asset to me

Many of us on Facebook, use this medium for more than sharing information with each other.  There is another face to Facebook, that I am sure that many people are deeply unaware of.  This is the private groups.  They can be help groups for illness, which I am using, or pet groups for special dogs or cats, or just about anything. More importantly, I have suggested groups for various medical issues, such as Aspergers, Autism, and others in my own practice. In addition to diary writing, which is private, the group is interactive, and live.

My belief system has not let me down.  If anyone is following this, and knows someone with a concussion who is having difficulty coping, with friends, or people leaving you, ( more which I will get into later), look up this group.

Out of frustration, I typed in Concussion, which was in my own frustration of a fall that I took in December.  I have been to the doctors, and to the specialists, and now I felt frustrated to discuss with other individuals the symptoms, and the sharing of information.  Within a week, using the computer, or electronic devices, was something that I not only enjoy, and am involved in, but in searching, I found a wonderful group out of frustration and just wanting to share….. In the next months ahead I intend to continue blogging about my own process so that others might read and take away that they too are not alone in symptomatology, treatment, frustration,  and fear, and all the issues one can think of with the diagnosis and reality of a concussion.  It certainly puts a different road to your life…

The group certainly attempts people to be aware of situations, that will annoy you or upset you.  If you have friends, that you feel irritated with when visiting them or engaging, be aware, and take heed and take care of yourself.

None of us need, cliches, discounting, and leaving us out.  This is a commonality with many medical issues, and chronic illness.

If a friend annoys you and is confrontive and feels aggravating, you may want to revisit your relationship with the person or the couple.  In my practice, I hear about this all the time with relationships.  People do not want to be around others who have a sour relationship maritally, or physically with a medical problem, even though it is a condition, and on a continuum of change and moving on.  We are people who are constantly evolving. Sometimes people are wonderful and the relationship does not change. In my professional opinion:   Friends who are now confronted with friends in a medical situation, really do not know how to act, say or behave, and thus it sometimes is easier to just not deal with the situation, or take leave of absence from the friendship.

Through evolution, and our own growth, we all change and hopefully gain insight, and are better for it.

HOW THE GROUP HELPED THIS WEEKEND.

Beginning new vestibular exercises with a specialist in vestibular therapy changed things for me again.  I intend to share these experiences so that others can have options for information, other than reading, doctors, or whatever.

I got on line with the new ‘friends” I have been in contact with from New Zealand to Canada, to my own Los Angeles Area.  There was a major conversation on migraines and what helps, and what works.  The conversation continued over the weekend, intermittently.  One can choose private messaging or exchange emails, or text. But it is confidential, and private, and only shared between members, to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the many of us involved.

What idea came about with one of the people I exchange with, was we decided that through this process, that we share, and we try other peoples ideas that have worked.  These ideas this weekend were about vestibular therapy and how it makes things worse at first, and then progresses to hopeful normalcy.  This was very comforting to speak in consultation with others who are experiencing the same thing and going through the same journey and hopefully even with the headaches will be better through the process.  Plain english, with a concussion, the brain occasionally provides mismatched information which is plain and simple, causing confusion, and other issues that one has suffered as the result of falling, accident, hitting ones head, or whatever has caused a post concussion syndrome diagnosis. More Later……DI