A real concussion, 24 hours post-impact

Bodhigirl

Bodhigirl

Well known member
Well, this is real pain, but you are my pain people.
My horse was startled on trail by a man in the weeds. I stayed on until he spun a second time. I hit my head, helmet on, bruised back, shoulder and chin. Five hours in the ER.
I have an intermittent headache. I’m told to rest. I’m bored. I’m listening t9 a book on Audible.
I’m wondering if I should go to the office tomorrow for a full day of seeing patients. I seem pretty fine tho a little muted and stiff. All the research says rest for seven to ten days!??
Really???
The brilliant part was finding EMDR self-hypnosis on YouTube! I can do self hypnosis, but these little videos are priceless. The flashbacks of my horse bolting and me getting whipped around before total darkness have stopped, at least for now.
Any experience?
 
I see no harm in resting for a few days after that! Glad you are ok. Us TMS'ers are made of tough stuff!

You may not want to underestimate that there may be some trauma behind the scenes that requires tending to. If you take it easy for a few days it may be more conducive to processing that.
 
birdsetfree said:
I see no harm in resting for a few days after that! Glad you are ok. Us TMS'ers are made of tough stuff!

You may not want to underestimate that there may be some trauma behind the scenes that requires tending to. If you take it easy for a few days it may be more conducive to processing that.
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Yes, thanks. Tons of flashbacks last night and this morning. Found awesome YouTube videos for doityourself EMDR. Very helpful.
Can’t ride for two weeks so plenty of time to feel better before expectations set in.
 
Bodhigirl said:
Yes, thanks. Tons of flashbacks last night and this morning. Found awesome YouTube videos for doityourself EMDR. Very helpful.
Can’t ride for two weeks so plenty of time to feel better before expectations set in.
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So sorry to hear that you're going through this! No experience with concussions here, but I can say how great EMDR is for traumas. I find it hard to do on my own though and definitely more productive with someone. Hope you can rest up, start healing and not worry about work too much in the meantime.
 
Pemberley said:
So sorry to hear that you're going through this! No experience with concussions here, but I can say how great EMDR is for traumas. I find it hard to do on my own though and definitely more productive with someone. Hope you can rest up, start healing and not worry about work too much in the meantime.
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Thanks!
 
Hi @Bodhigirl. Hope you managed OK. I've had concussion. If you didn't actually get knocked out at the time and didn't start vomiting within a day or two, you'll heal quickly from regular concussion.

Any chance you could share a link to those videos please? I can do self hypnosis as well and can treat other people with EMDR. I always used my finger as the guide with clients, but it's a bit tricky to do EMDR smoothly using your own finger! I'd love to give those vids a go. EMDR is amazing :)
 
zclesa said:
Hi @Bodhigirl. Hope you managed OK. I've had concussion. If you didn't actually get knocked out at the time and didn't start vomiting within a day or two, you'll heal quickly from regular concussion.

Any chance you could share a link to those videos please? I can do self hypnosis as well and can treat other people with EMDR. I always used my finger as the guide with clients, but it's a bit tricky to do EMDR smoothly using your own finger! I'd love to give those vids a go. EMDR is amazing :)
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zclesa said:
Hi @Bodhigirl. Hope you managed OK. I've had concussion. If you didn't actually get knocked out at the time and didn't start vomiting within a day or two, you'll heal quickly from regular concussion.

Any chance you could share a link to those videos please? I can do self hypnosis as well and can treat other people with EMDR. I always used my finger as the guide with clients, but it's a bit tricky to do EMDR smoothly using your own finger! I'd love to give those vids a go. EMDR is amazing :)
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I was knocked unconscious for around 60 seconds. The headaches are pretty intense. I am just wondering how much my fear is feeding the pain. I never trust my TMS storytelling mind.
 
@Bodhigirl Thanks so much for sharing the videos :)

I will share a little something with you regarding the concussion. Yes you can get bad headaches from concussion - that is normal. Most people heal within a few weeks at the most - even from bad concussion. These are medical facts.

I did not heal as I was TMSing (which I didn't know at the time). My boyfriend had punched me in the back of the head. I started vomiting and was in severe pain within 24 hours (NOT immediately after he hit me - interesting to note). I had to sit in the hospital with the perpetrator all day, on my 23rd birthday, waiting for a scan and he told me to lie to the staff saying I'd hit my head on something other than his fist. So I lied about it. I suffered post-concussive syndrome for a very long time. I won't go into the symptoms (because you don't want that), but I think now it is very clear why.

Unless you have an actual "traumatic brain injury", which would be picked up by a scan and you'd KNOW about it anyway, because it would be much more than a bad headache, your concussion WILL heal within a few weeks. It is abnormal for it not to do so and would be pure TMS like I had.

So please do the EMDR to process what happened, give yourself a break if you need to (no need to "push through" if you had an actual injury and got knocked out), do not be scared of the headaches, and resume normal activity as soon as the headaches start to ease. If they are getting worse or not healing or you get other symptoms, it is pure TMS if you have ruled out actual brain injury, which I am sure they did at the hospital. You're doing the right thing by processing it and not suppressing it like I did.

Wishing you well.
 
zclesa said:
@Bodhigirl Thanks so much for sharing the videos :)

I will share a little something with you regarding the concussion. Yes you can get bad headaches from concussion - that is normal. Most people heal within a few weeks at the most - even from bad concussion. These are medical facts.

I did not heal as I was TMSing (which I didn't know at the time). My boyfriend had punched me in the back of the head. I started vomiting and was in severe pain within 24 hours (NOT immediately after he hit me - interesting to note). I had to sit in the hospital with the perpetrator all day, on my 23rd birthday, waiting for a scan and he told me to lie to the staff saying I'd hit my head on something other than his fist. So I lied about it. I suffered post-concussive syndrome for a very long time. I won't go into the symptoms (because you don't want that), but I think now it is very clear why.

Unless you have an actual "traumatic brain injury", which would be picked up by a scan and you'd KNOW about it anyway, because it would be much more than a bad headache, your concussion WILL heal within a few weeks. It is abnormal for it not to do so and would be pure TMS like I had.

So please do the EMDR to process what happened, give yourself a break if you need to (no need to "push through" if you had an actual injury and got knocked out), do not be scared of the headaches, and resume normal activity as soon as the headaches start to ease. If they are getting worse or not healing or you get other symptoms, it is pure TMS if you have ruled out actual brain injury, which I am sure they did at the hospital. You're doing the right thing by processing it and not suppressing it like I did.

Wishing you well.
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The best news is no more headache. Just fragile. Wild surges of PTSD.
Dread. Fear of being damaged. Permanently. That’s where the trauma/drama lives.
I likely took my last ride. Unbeknownst to me.
 
Glad to hear the headache has gone. I think your feelings of trauma are normal.

However be aware of your tms brain using this as opportunity to ramp up the fear and doubt in your mind and body’s capability to heal.

Could the thoughts you are having about not riding again be premature? Take care and get over it all first perhaps and then see how you feel about getting back on the horse.
 
Bodhigirl said:
Yep. I am, of all ironies, a trauma psychotherapist. And I love my therapist tho I don’t go often... somatic experiencing, hypnosis...
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I wonder if you are a bit like me then. When I was a psychotherapist, I cared way too much for my clients at the expense of myself. Treating trauma takes a lot out of us. I experienced quite a lot of stomach upset when treating one particular client with extensive trauma. It was very demanding on both my time and energy. I am a super-empath and tend to soak things up. It's very important to release that stuff. I will not poke into your past of course, but I know why I went into that profession. Have you ever read "When the Body Say No" by Gabor Mate?

I guess from your username, you are a Buddhist? I am. I went into Buddhism, specifically Theravadan, because the kindness to others felt very natural to me, but I was and am aware that I don't have very much compassion for myself. The Theravada path is particularly focused on self-development and freeing oneself from suffering. Of course, it has the other elements of Buddhism, which focus on others and oneness. But a lot of ex-addicts, like myself, are drawn to Theravada for that reason. We treat ourselves badly and need a path that teaches us not to.
 
zclesa said:
I wonder if you are a bit like me then. When I was a psychotherapist, I cared way too much for my clients at the expense of myself. Treating trauma takes a lot out of us. I experienced quite a lot of stomach upset when treating one particular client with extensive trauma. It was very demanding on both my time and energy. I am a super-empath and tend to soak things up. It's very important to release that stuff. I will not poke into your past of course, but I know why I went into that profession. Have you ever read "When the Body Say No" by Gabor Mate?

I guess from your username, you are a Buddhist? I am. I went into Buddhism, specifically Theravadan, because the kindness to others felt very natural to me, but I was and am aware that I don't have very much compassion for myself. The Theravada path is particularly focused on self-development and freeing oneself from suffering. Of course, it has the other elements of Buddhism, which focus on others and oneness. But a lot of ex-addicts, like myself, are drawn to Theravada for that reason. We treat ourselves badly and need a path that teaches us not to.
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Yes I treat a lot of trauma. And had I read this back when you wrote it I would say I don’t take it home with me.
Till a terribly traumatic case yesterday. I was up with anxiety till very late. It was too soon to take on another patient with trauma. I love my referral source, however, and had just had the hour open earlier that day. I always see those scheduling flows as my HP unfolding me and the universe... mostly for my higher good.
I am drawn to the self-compassion of Buddhist teachings.
It’s been 30 years since i first listened to Thich Nhat Hanh speak of mindful kindness. Breathing out, I smile.
(I will check out the Mate book)
 
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