#BrainQA: Q&A to bring brain injury survivors together and to raise brain injury awareness. Every Monday at 8pm (UK time) on facebook, twitter and instagram

The following answers are users from facebook, twitter and instagram, thank you everyone for answering!

How often do you get overwhelmed?

‘Every time someone talks to me without taking a breathing break. Its like after one min I just stop hearing and understanding, mind you I still cant remember their last sentence by then anyway’

‘Whenever someone drones on and on about something I don’t understand. When too many different things all need my immediate attention. When people aren’t willing to speak louder after I’ve told them I can’t hear or follow them.’

‘Too much to admit I feel like. I am afraid if I acknowledge it….I will give up. Being a mom of a sixteen month old boy has its own overwhelmingness. I deal with preservation and I have it bad! Especially when I make goofs. (Dumb mistakes) My poor husband tells me just to move on already but I can’t.’

‘Too often sometimes… I need to pace myself. For example I tend to do too much (I forget I cannot – and that I changed). So would go to rehab, prepare a basic meal, and then try and do some laundry, which then pushes my brain into the red. I do have carers employed everyday, but need to learn to leave these tasks for them, rather than pushing myself to do it! It’s against my fibre to leave things for others, but I guess then I pay for it later in the day (and even the next day) with anxiety attacks and disorientation, when my brain is just in the red. Also, I get overwhelmed when I try and hold a conversation with more that one person at a time. My brain can’t figure it out.’

‘With time it has gotten better! I can remember things like bills and waiting in line could sometimes be too much. Now, I am attending WSU full time 19 hrs this semester, and all A’s! I do have a little test anxiety because I hold myself to such high standards. Midterms and papers were a bit overwhelming but I survived! I still can’t do large crowds or excessive noisy environments, but I will get there too!’

‘I have three children and when they all talk to me at once I get overwhelmed. Or early morning school rush is hard’

‘Several times per day, often by surprise. One stimulus too many and BOOM. Often in a state of perpetual overwhelm, heart hammering.’

‘Most days! Much less overwhelming than when my injury first happened though, but as the brain rewires it hits new milestones that are fundamentally challenging in their own way.’

‘I get overwhelmed every day and I am only a carer and supporter of a TBI survivor, I can only imagine how overwhelming and challenging life must be for him everyday ‘

‘Everyday, depending on what mood I have, depends on how hard it hits me and how I deal with it’

‘Every day, it’s overwhelming ‘what has happened to me, when will it be ok again?’ Totally depletes me. But I am determined not to stay there, moving forward even in baby steps.’

‘Every day!’

‘Once a day’

‘Daily. Today was a real doozy’

‘Several times a day’

‘Every day’