Other TBI and PTSD

[LuckiLee]

My Combat Veteran is diagnosed with PTSD and multiple TBI's, however he is only being treated for PTSD.

Lately he and I have been discussing TBI's and the long term effects. He feels, after all these years, that he has a handle on PTSD and it's symptoms. He's thinking his issues now are more TBI related than PTSD. And I just might agree.

So, I have been doing a little reading about TBI and the overlap of symptoms.

Irritability
Cognitive deficits
Insomnia
Depression
Anxiety
(My guy has all of the above.)

We're dealing with the US V.A. hospital so we're trying to gather information about TBI before we discuss with them. (He's had a CT scan about 6 months ago and I'm unsure what was found.) His goal is to get off of some of his meds. (They won't like that one bit!!) He/we feel he's dealing with the PTSD stuff very well now. It's the memory loss and irritability that he struggles with.

The reason I'm posting is to get some feedback from anyone with experience or knowledge about this. I know we need to get an appointment with a neurologist but what information or treatment (if any) should we expect? What questions should we ask?

On a personal level, what should J and I be doing or not doing? What helped YOU?

Thanks in advance. XO

 

[Lost in the Woods]

I had a pretty bad concussion a few years ago and some of the symptoms have continued such as light sensitivity. I had been dealing with frustration for decades. I read somewhere about taking a sub therapeutic dose of Zoloft for frustration and anger related to PTSD so I asked my doc about it. It was truly a life sh anger for me. The frustration is gone.

 

[Friday]

TBI’s/Concussion are one of my sister’s two specialities. (The other is psychopathy).

Most basically?

Dealing with TBI’s are about predictive patterns. And circumventing them. As much as one can. Speech Pathologists / Cognitive therapists (Neurology, not psych) are the gold standard in treatment… ans the treatments? Are WACKY. Like using chalk & Velcro & sandpaper wacky. Yet? Bizarrely effective. Like WTF does this have to do with anything?!? (Finding new neural pathways to bridge the gaps betwixt damaged pathways). They’re seeeeeriously f*cking weird, reductive, insulting, strange… that work.

So a referral to a speech pathologist or cognitive therapist… that specialize in concussion / TBI… is what you want. As well as patience up the wazoo for seriously f*cking strange tasks to accomplish. And make presence for practicing until you’re not only insulted/infuriated by… but bored as hell.