There are many symptoms of head trauma and all doctors say that each trauma is unique. First I’m going to list the symptoms I experienced, then another list and then I’ll tell you a little about the chronology.

Symptoms I experienced:

• anxiety
• overwhelm with any difficulty, especially emotional
• headaches/migraines
• visual disorientation
• mild dizziness
• auditory disorientation
• hyperacusis
• sensitivity to light
• difficulty with balance
• pressure in eyes
• inability to use screens
• inability to drive
• difficulty focusing
• memory problems
• palpitations, particularly with exercise or waking up in the morning
• difficulty processing information – and especially emotional information
• urgency urinating and defecating
• diarrhea
• difficulty being in a car (movement)
• difficulty walking (this gradually improved over two months)
• difficulty waking up – it took me an hour or so to go from asleep to semi-awake and willpower was not helping.
• tingling in forearms
• fatigue
• suicidal thoughts

Other symptoms experienced by other people with TBI:

• insomnia
• dizziness
• tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• worse taste or smell sensations
• balance much worse than mine
• nausea

In my case, some symptoms were better or worse at different times, and depending on various stimuli. For example, at the very beginning, I was not aware of digestion problems or dangerous thoughts about my existence. Yes, I thought I was dying, but I had no impulses to do anything.

Also, every day I had ups and downs of fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, and disorientation. In certain circumstances I felt either better or worse – some days with less, other days with more.

The emotional problems became more acute when I tried to do more than my brain was capable of, and pushed myself not to stop for days, weeks, or longer. In fact, it was because of these kinds of problems that I finally sought the help I needed to really recover.

My symptoms have been going away very slowly, thanks to the therapies and exercises I do. Although I can drive much more than before, I still limit myself to 30 minutes per trip, more or less. (I’m 2.5 years after the accident.)

In another post, I will share the steps of my progress.