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Prefer to listen to this blog? Go to podcast episode 29: My 6 stages of concussion recovery.
Having post-concussion syndrome isn't something that goes away after a few days or weeks. It's something that can last a lot longer, and I can honestly say it's been the hardest journey of my life.
Dealing with concussion symptoms every day is not easy. Over time, I've noticed different stages in my recovery, and I want to share the 6 stages of concussion recovery with you.
My six stages of concussion recovery
Stage 1: Week 1 - “Take some rest and everything will be fine”
Right after the accident, I was able to go home. I hadn’t hit my head; my only injury was a hurt ankle.
I felt a bit strange, but I could still function normally and didn’t think much of it. I figured it was just the adrenaline.
The next day, I went to work and acted like everything was fine. I remember doing this for the whole week, but by the end of the week, a colleague mentioned that I had made some mistakes.
I usually never make mistakes, so this was unusual for me, and my colleagues were surprised too. I went home a little earlier on Friday to rest, telling them I would be back on Monday.
Stage 2: Week 2 - 4 - What is going on with me?
On Monday, I couldn't go to work, so I told my boss I needed another week to rest. My neck and shoulders were hurting, along with my lower back.
I started to wonder what was going on. I visited my doctor, who advised me to rest and said I should be back to normal in a few weeks. He didn't mention anything about a concussion or whiplash, which made me feel like he wasn't taking me seriously. He just gave me some calming pills because I felt so restless.
Even after a few weeks, I still felt restless and struggled to handle things like I usually did. Even going grocery shopping became really difficult.
There were so many things to take in at the supermarket—bright lights, loud sounds, people talking and moving around.
I couldn't believe I had never noticed it all before. I started to worry about how I would ever be able to find my products without getting overwhelmed by all these distractions.
Stage 3: 1-3 months - Why do my post-concussion symptoms not go away?
I still didn’t understand what was happening to me. After a month, I went back to my doctor, and he told me I had whiplash. Whiplash? I had heard of it but didn’t really know what it meant.
His advice was to get more rest. I went home and started searching on Google for answers. After 30 minutes, I felt overwhelmed and closed my laptop; Google wasn’t helping me.
I decided it was better to trust my doctor and focus on resting. He had said it could take up to three months for me to recover.
I waited until the three-month mark, but when I got there, nothing had changed.
Further reading: Most doctors didn't believe or understand my concussion.
Stage 4: 3 - 12 months - Waiting Waiting Waiting
I was getting frustrated with my slow recovery. Am I doing something wrong? Should I change anything? What if I try working out again and do some exercises?
I gave it a shot, but after just five minutes, I had to lie down for the rest of the day. I still hadn’t gone back to work, and I was tired of being at home all the time.
I went to my doctor again, and he referred me to a physiotherapist. I tried that for a few months, but it didn’t help at all; it wasn’t what I needed.
So, I stopped the treatment.
This stage was one of the hardest in my six stages of concussion recovery. It was all about waiting, waiting, and waiting, not knowing what to do to get better.
Stage 5: 1 year - 2 years - Is there a post-concussion treatment? Or is this it?
After a year of waiting, I was done and decided to look for options myself. Up until that point, I hadn't heard anyone mention that it could be a concussion.
Because of that, I never sought treatments focused on post-concussion symptoms. I don’t know why I didn’t connect whiplash to a concussion; I had never read about it, so I guess I just didn’t know. I really wish I had known earlier so I could have found the right treatment for my post-concussion issues.
Further reading: Concussion treatments I tried in my first 2 years.
Almost two years later, I spoke to a doctor who told me that a concussion could result from whiplash. I had never known this, so I started searching on Google again.
I found a list of symptoms related to concussions and another list of whiplash symptoms. I recognized all the concussion symptoms.
See the list below:
Concussion Symptoms Whiplash Symptoms
Stage 6: 2 years - now - The last one of the 6 stages of concussion recovery
I hardly felt any improvements during my first two years. But once I realized it was a concussion, I could finally start looking for the right treatment.
That's why I went to the leading concussion center in Utah, Cognitive FX, two years after the accident.
Finally, I began to feel improvements.
Further reading: My experience with Cognitive FX Treatment
If I were to measure my recovery journey as a percentage, it would look like this:
First 2 years after the accident: 10% recovered
After treatment at Cognitive FX (interval/cognitive training): 50% recovered
One year after that treatment: 65% recovered
Two years after that treatment: 75% recovered
Now, 8 years after treatment: 90% recovered
I also visited a neuro-optometrist, changed my diet, and practiced yoga.
Join my free masterclass to learn more about my 2 game-changers and how it can help you too:
In my free masterclass, which I’m hosting regularly, I’ll share the 2 researched methods that helped me the most in my recovery (and now also for thousands of others).
I love hosting this masterclass and engaging with all of you, but it takes a lot of effort to organize. That's why it's only available for a limited time. Make sure to sign up and join before it's too late!
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