Can't leave my house after accident three years ago and feeling depressed, alone and helpless
Former Member
Posts: 3 Newbie
Three years ago, I was in an accident which resulted in a seizure and ever since I have been suffering from post-concussion syndrome and chronic migraine.
I was 16 at the time and this resulted in me having to drop out of college while seeing all my friends move on. At the time I didn't think it was such a big deal and that it wouldn’t be long until I would be going to university too. Due to my head injury traveling induces severe quantities of pain and dizziness so I can’t really go too far which is why I have experienced little human contact in the last three years. My friends have all moved on while I’ve been stuck here just trying not to lose my mind. The doctors don’t know when I’ll get better just eventually which is the most frustrating part.
Anyone know what I should do to make myself feel better? A part of me feels like this might just be loneliness but given how many times I’ve failed at things I’ve attempted (specifically college) in the last three years it’s probably more than that. Anyone know anything I can do at home to fill in the social aspect? I had a look at some online chat rooms and talked to some people some time back, but it ended badly, so I didn't really want to go back until now but I it’s not like it’s not an option.
Other symptoms include difficulty in concentration and insomnia which has only made things that much harder. As each day passes I keep feeling more and more secluded and sometimes I even begin to wonder whether I'll ever get over this injury as apparently some people never did recover over similar injuries and if that’s seriously the case then maybe this isn’t even worth fighting against anymore seeming I can barely even complete a test paper without a crippling headache or vomiting.
Comments
Sorry to hear what you're going through, it sounds so frustrating to not know when you'll be back to full health. In terms of making yourself feel better, it's as much about self care as it is about social - do you feel like you are taking care of your mental health? There's a really good article about self care here: http://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/a-guide-to-self-care-15574.html that might give you some tips.
You've done the right thing coming here, it's a lovely supportive community so hope we can help too
I hope you start to feel better in yourself. Keep us updated with how you're getting on.
- Lucy
You've been going though a tough time and its great that you have taken a step forward and posted about it here on the Mix. I see you are looking for ways to make yourself feel better but also have trouble concentrating, this can be a difficult issue to get around. Have you thought about getting a pet? A reptile requires little care and having an animal gives you a responsibility that stays on your mind. If your feeling up to it, maybe a dog could help you get out of the house, its understandable if an dog is to much right now, but a happy pet can help you feel less alone.
A while a go I read this book called Reality is Broken, its all about video games, which might not be your cup of tea, but the writer, Jane McGonigal had a long term concussion and felt very depressed as a result. She talks about the experience in a Ted Talk you can find on youtube. Maybe her story will help as she recovered over time and now makes games that can improve peoples lives and wellbeing.
I hope you recover and please, please keep fighting.
I really like Eyepatch's idea of getting a dog. I think that might really help you with the feelings of lowliness.
How about also joining some local groups to help you get a bit more social? The headaches and dizziness may hold you back from doing sport, but there are other things you could try, like a choir or arts and crafts groups. Even if you just sign up to something and go along and observe if it's too much to take part? I know these groups really help because I have been working with a girl who moved over from China who has a mental health diagnosis and chronic pain down the right side of her body. She is really limited in what she can do and was feeling really lonely and isolated, so I helped her sign up to a local acting course with the adult college and for the first few session she just went along to watch, but she's made friends there now and I've seen such a difference in her outlook on life!
I hope you find something that you can focus on for now, and as Eyepatch said, keep fighting!
I noticed you haven't posted anything since this thread, as you mentioned loneliness I thought I would just check in to see if you are okay and if any of the suggestions here helped. I hope you are feeling better, remember the Mix is here for you
Sorry if I wasn't clear in my original post about my condition but taking care of a pet won't be possible for me. my head is often in a lot of pain and general movement seems to make it worse so taking care of a pet will probably just put me through more pain seeming ill have multiple responsibilities to take care of. Transportation of any kind also puts me through severe pain and dizziness which is why I've been homebound for a while, because of this I can't really partake in any activities.
What I have decided to do is receive over the phone counselling (which is what led me to the mix in the first place) as it seems my options are limited and given how my mental health hasn't really been holding up it would probably be better to talk to someone experienced. When I posted this, I was just feeling a little low and wanted to vent but I should have probably gone the extra mile to seek professional help from the start. Thanks for the advice anyway though as getting responses from people did make me feel a bit better.
Would you be okay doing art based activities? You can be at home and don't have to move around when drawing, you could try writing too. As its good to have hobbies when you are stuck in the same place for a long time.