Do the things you used to love suddenly feel flat?
Maybe you still do them, but they do not feel the same. The excitement is gone. Your motivation has disappeared. And after living with PCS for months or years, you may have even started wondering, “What happened to me?”
In Episode 15 of The Post-Concussion Resilience Podcast, I talk about one of the strangest parts of my own PCS recovery: losing interest in things that used to make me feel alive.
After seven concussions over 20 years, I learned that persistent PCS can do more than create physical symptoms. When your world becomes smaller, your nervous system becomes more protective, and your life begins revolving around symptoms and recovery, the things you once enjoyed can start to feel strangely distant.
But that does not necessarily mean those parts of you are gone.
I think of it more like a dimmer switch than an on/off switch.
When your system has spent a long time protecting you, you may need to slowly begin giving it experiences of living again rather than waiting until you completely feel like your old self.
In this episode, I explain why PCS can make life feel flat, what happened to my own interests and motivation during recovery, and why rebuilding your life may begin with small doses of the things that once mattered to you.
You do not have to force yourself back into your old life overnight.
Start small.
Give your brain evidence that these parts of life can still be safe, meaningful and enjoyable.
Then slowly turn the dimmer switch back up.
PCS Reset Cheat Sheet:
https://david-brimacombe.mykajabi.com/ThePCScheatSheet
Two simple tools, PACE and SAFE, to help you respond differently when symptoms spike, your nervous system feels overwhelmed or your mind gets caught in a negative thought loop.
Belief Reset Audio:
https://david-brimacombe.mykajabi.com/beliefreset
PCS Morning Blueprint:
https://david-brimacombe.mykajabi.com/PCSmorningblueprint
PCS BeliefBot:
https://app.creator.io/chat/pcsbeiliefbot-ka8
Join the PCS Resilience Collective waitlist:
https://david-brimacombe.mykajabi.com/JoinPCSResilienceCollective
PCS Reset Cheat Sheet:
https://david-brimacombe.mykajabi.com/ThePCScheatSheet
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:
Subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@DavidBrimacombePCS
This podcast is for education and support only, and is not medical advice.
You are not broken. You are rebuilding.