Dr. Samantha Backhaus talks about emotional triggers after brain injury

Dr. Samantha Backhaus talks about situations that might be emotional triggers for people with brain injury.
This content is made possible by a partnership between the Indiana University School of Medicine and WETA/BrainLine.
The contents of this video were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, the Indiana Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems 90DP0036 and 90DRTB0002. NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this video do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

[@ValouQc]

Thank you so much, since I’ve been hit by a car and had brain bleed and skull fracture, only my youngest kid who lives with me is understanding but other people judge me.

[@jnkmamma69]

Thank you for sharing this. Had a TBI in 2014 and this still applies.

[@JDqs-kg5sp]

I’ve had my TBI for 8 months now and tho some has gotten better I still struggle constantly with a lot of it. I hope it get better and goes away

[@Coywolfie]

I lost allot of people to my TBI and it sucks they dont understand and I get so sick of telling new people how it is for me but I cant show them what its like there is no comparasion

[@John-gj9db]

I went through exactly this after my tbi. I wish I had someone to tell me this at that time. Fatigue and mood swings were a real problem. Thank you for sharing this.❤

[@kellyrosegreene1698]

i am so happy someone is addessing this. the triggers are many.

[@robertmoore5274]

She worded it perfectly.

[@mcjs8640]

I had terrible sensory overload. One aspect has improved since I got the help of a hearing therapist who specialises in brain injury. She helped me to retrain my brain using a hearing ball. I learned how to become better at tolerating background noise. I get less agitated and cope a lot better.

[@RaneBane]

Filtering sucks. I used to sit on my porch and talk woth friends. After my tbi I would be sitting there , not wanting to speak or know how to start conversation or when to say my piece and out of nowhere just start dry heaving with the worst naseau. Pressure in my head makes it so I'm feeling like I'm already on max overload and it doesn't matter what you say, I'm pissed off and I'm gonna react negatively. Imagine staying up all night studying for the biggest exam of your life, crushing that shit, catching your second wind and go back out to get shitfaced at the bar on later that night. On your way home , picking up a bag of bomb coke and chopping lines the size of Indiana jones' whip until the sun comes up... That feeling before you get to sleep is the kind of overload someone with a tbi feels every day. It never goes away.

[@rebeccabaxterbard8073]

Lol, as a "student of the 80's" & a prior tbi, this is both a hilarious & tragic description!

[@Fiawordweaver]

Finally I have my story. 2018 was my craniotomy. I have not been emotionally or physically the same since.

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

Everything in this video explained me after my tbi, perfectly.

[@JDqs-kg5sp]

Well said. As a person who has a TBI I can relate with this.

[@1975KyleDavid]

I became epileptic from a TBI in my youth. I am learning that my emotional and mental obstacles are common in persons with head injuries. For a long time, I felt alone because nobody understood my challenges--particularly my parents--because they had no association to my condition.

[@DishonestTrack6]

This is me whenever I'm around my brother. Everytime I'm near him I'm instantly on edge. He is well aware of my TBI but always tries starting problems even when I'm apologizing for something I did wrong. Then next thing I know I am fuming with anger. But if someone else makes me mad I'm quite calm about it. It's just my brother gives off this vibe I don't like. Well he's done a lot of things nobody would like which is probably why this vibe from him is there for me so often.

[@teeganmcpherson8690]

same bro

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

Yes, same, with my mom, it is like she likes to trigger me and she gets on my nerves more often than anybody else. I am not happy with how easily triggered or upset or even angry I become or how quickly and how bad it gets but it does happen. Especially when I already have headache, nerve pain, or am already passed the fatigue baseline and honestly exhausted. I find I can only do a few things per day and if I even try to push past that I get super frustrated. Most of the time I am frustrated at myself.

[@jamesr5741]

I've had similar problems with bullies, even within my own family. In my experience they have their own mental issues which they try to project onto others who they think will take the pain. Healthy people wouldn't do that.

[@Phoenix-gp5bg]

@@DeborahAnnsuperversatile Hello, as a mother trying to help my son with TBI, I find if I speak too fast or too slow triggers him. I would like to know. what can I do so that I don't trigger you?

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

@@Phoenix-gp5bg my big thing is to treat me like a person, like agree to disagree, and not disregard my opinions even if they are not "right." That is what my mom does that triggers me. But everyone is different so I don't know

[@MasiRick]

I basically just isolated myself for a decade and for the last three years been living in my car

[@MasiRick]

On the west side of the country its a lot more spacious and ok to float around in your car / live in it societally. If you can get to a rural area it is dead silent and you can see for miles.

[@mgray3130]

I stay at home. I do get to the store, but I've stopped all others I only see my family once a week and used to see them everyday if not every other day. I've basically lost my partner as well. It's just come to me yesterday about all this. I had I thought was a the best friend ever now does not return my text. Yesterday I heard the song"I Lost A Friend' and I realized I had lost me.

[@bjornolson21]

I’m sorry. I know the feeling. I’ve lost my best friend of 15 years. Since 5th grade we were besties. And a few of my other friends don’t really talk to me much either.

[@davidsoto4394]

I have trouble with crowds and loud noises.

[@lav856]

Same

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

Same here

[@TheDevineFempress]

Me too …. Dating Stress, confabulations ruined my relationship right after, I would get stuck in angry rants…., running helps, I read an article and asked friends …. Close friends thought I was going crazy till I told the about my tbi… and I started running that day…it started slowly and consistently getting better. I thought I’d ruined my life but if I hadn’t had that relationship fall apart I would have had no clue what was happening. I was beaten and strangled by my ex husband. I was out of it for 3 days…. Awake but gone. And it has taken till a year to even realize what was going on during the pandemic. I left my attacker and lived at home and worked at home all alone ! Nobody to see but my dog that was my sole reason for going out.

[@eveoakley6270]

Wow, me too. I had a TBI back in March, now left with sequencing memory problems, lost my smell, and cannot stand certain noises or crowds. I feel bad about this, but I just cannot help it 😢

[@evanwilliamson3602]

Even this video being too quiet and even hearing this beautiful woman pronounce her ‘S’ in words is enough for me to walk out the room.

[@mindrunfree]

This is so helpful and comforting for me to hear. I feel like I’ve lost my mind.

[@mysobermission2509]

Omg this is me im like 😭😭😭😭 my TBI was untreated x

[@Hvantress]

Its like they don't treat any had injury. The only person I ever had actually try to treat me was a natural practice type Dr. He's the head of International Autoimmune Center but uses diet and vitamins n at to get u better. He prescribed HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen treatments) I did 40 dives and it did help this part of the brain.

[@DeborahAnnsuperversatile]

Mine was untreated also. I tried to go to a doctor about a week after, and he absolutely did not care. He did not even look at my head to see the bump. There was a big bump filled with fluid. And he did not even look at or feel it. He only told me to drink caffeine to help with the headaches/migraines. it is terrible. My friend had a few different concussions from mild-severe and went to the doctor right away, and they still were not treated, or treated properly for sure. It is absolutely terrible. I thought I was going to die. Sometimes I wish I did....not because I want to die, but because I still have repercussions from the head injury/accident around 8 years later. Touching that spot on my head still is uncomfortable and feels bad to me.

[@marknichols1]

Had serious poly trauma and serious brain trauma 3yrs 8months after cycling and van drove straight into me 70mph. I live alone couldn't take family life, I struggle with fatigue and try to follow routine and not see people. I have a manageable life big issues, noise vision, information overload cant take info in well. just keep going but short sessions and if tired, sleep. I looses days when I cant get going but it does come back

[@powgan1556]

@Mark N. I will pray for you. Have friend who was hit as pedestrian by truck 8 yrs ago. Hit & run. Has TBI , spinal cord injury, PTSD. Has multipul triggers. Taking CBD this helps him with pain & many of the triggers so he is learning to be social again etc. & recovering with Gods help.

[@DiabloGato69]

Now I understand all these years why I can’t keep a job for a longer period or unable to socially function well in big crowds. I was thrown off a galloping horse when I was a child back in the mountains. I lost my grip on my father’s back. In my early 20s I tumbled down a hill down to the village due to some stupidity 😂 thanks for the information. It’s very helpful. Finally I know now why I can’t function in a normal society 😭

[@ramongutierrez780]

I have trouble with crowds and certain people

[@debblackmore7460]

Stay strong stay safe sending love from headway Nottingham UK takecare x

[@lav856]

Hello ✨ I've been reading your comments on most of tbi related videos. Just wanna say hello ✨🙏🏻🌸

[@debblackmore7460]

Spot on thanks for sharing stay safe stay strong x

[@lav856]

🤍

[@DavidLuster-fb3ld]

It's like being trapped in Hell.

[@jeffschultz732]

Spot on!!!!!!

[@madpennfoodchannel7501]

Thank u❤

[@MilesCobbett]

Lots of lights like in Reno casinos is over stimulation for me and I notice I have a short fuse around bullies at jobs. Luckily I am retired now n don't have to deal with jerks

[@speakershaygrace2206]

Soooooooo so so true!!! Thx

[@freqeist]

2014 MY tbi also sub arracnoid hemorage and sbdural hematomas I`m still alive but frightened because of the greater increase of stroke. I`m 57

[@hirograveyard8236]

I get violently angry when I hear people chewing. I feel unsafe. Not like I might die, but unsafe like I worry that I may really hurt someone. I know it’s not normal. I think about doing terrible things to people I think I care about.

[@user-gz9hl7rz5j]

how are you doing now?

[@hirograveyard8236]

@@user-gz9hl7rz5j I’m making adjustments. I wear earbuds and headphones to dampen things 90% of the time. I spend a lot of time alone. I think I have a date coming up soon, and I think it might be best to cancel just because I don’t think I should be around people for a while. I think the adjustments I’m making are helping. I’m really just trying to enjoy the life I have left and save a few coin to pay for my disposal before I shut myself down. I feel peaceful and joyful when I’m alone, but I think the eating noise thing is my body telling me that I don’t belong around others for too long because I don’t have patience for them anymore. I LOVE the species from a distance and never want to hurt or upset anyone. So now…I put in my headphones and just wander around LA by myself basking in the runoff from the love I see in other people’s lives. That’s enough for me, I think. Even asking the woman out for a date was me just want to facilitate a nice time for someone who was warm to me. Idk if that makes sense, but it’s true.

[@consumetm]

I have alot of these triggers and I honestly have no memory of having an injury. ._.

[@mEE1434eva]

This is me! I see certain coworkers and i just know. I am not doing this to myself. It is my injury. There is one coworker her likes to hear herself talk. There is one coworker who says everything with the same intonation which is the wrong intonation and makes me think everything is a question. There are the accents. There are the people who beat around the bush. There are people who are zoned out and need help doing everything. I find the most painful ones the people who interject when the conversation is ending for one final point/question. Very. Very. Very painful and extremely annoying and makes me think you are an idiot. There are are people who think you are drunk. Then there are people who think you arent taking care of yourself. The bottom line is i learned that i usually want to explain myself to the biggest as hole in the room. Which means i dont do that because it wouldnt change how they treat me. That was a big wake up call. People dont deserve an explanation. Put that explanation in your power reserves. Half the time my explanation wouldnt be good enough and not nearly encompass what it feels like and since they see it and dont understand i doubt they will feel it when i describe it.

[@lisamoag6548]

Yes, short time to be able to manage the stimulation of interaction with others and complexities. Keep it simple sweetheart.

[@joshuaoqquendoandino2236]

Agree 💯 percent

[@Paul-ei8nq]

People are the worst triggers. Always have been. Early developmental damage from family and several other concussive events throughout life. God forbid I have a good couple hours or a day people will want it all the time. If any of them tried to walk a mile in this they most likely could not do it. Oh well.

[@JamzYamz7]

My trigger is the race of the men that attacked me. I’m not sorry for my hatred..

[@Hvantress]

So how can you help this. I have a TBI and when I can't sleep for days on end and super sick, very high pain I got widespread pain thru my whole body after that. But I can do the leeks thing and it's like I trigger everyone around me then I'll feel bad or not understand what just happened then I can't stop crying. And before I never cried over anything really. And now my husband didn't know how to help me and just gets mad. And leaves me in that state. I dint what to do to help self calm myself and anytime I cry my brain swells and it just gets worse. So if I can't get help to sooth myself right away then I'm so messed up that eventually I feel like it's better for me to just get my own place cause then I'm snapping at my loved ones when I dint want to and slamming doors even. Like, whatever the thing is that gives you the ability to calm down or self sooth is broken. It got better after hbot treatments but now 2yrs later is back and it's pretty intense. Is there a way to just stop crying? That could help me at least Keri the brain swelling down.

[@evankraayenbrink3354]

How long has this been going on? I have done everything it feels like. But what has been working for me with the pain has been regular acupuncture. And a diet without sugar. Also a regular message. I have good friends that allow me to fall apart. They pray for me. Very important.

[@rebeccabecca1308]

❤

[@elisekrentzel-rebelwriter]

What is TBI?

[@brainline]

TBI stands for traumatic brain injury. Here is a link with more information: www.brainline.org/tbi-basics/what-tbi

[@JamzYamz7]

@@brainline can you get tbi from a blowout fracture to the eye ?

[@brainline]

@JamzYamz7 Yes

[@nealdunleavy8267]

modafinil Lg

[@aphysique]

Helps wit fatigue.?

[@HLTrds]

Ladies with high pitch voices are triggers!!

[@nealdunleavy8267]

this TBI guy adores yo beautiful

[@melodioushaste]

YOUR AUDIO SUCKS. PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURIES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR AS WELL AND IT MAKES US WORK 100% HARDER TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND.