An anxiety attack can feel frightening, especially when it happens in the early hours of the morning and you are already living with the challenges of brain injury recovery.
In this conversation with Dr. Eric, Adeline shares what happened during one of those difficult moments and how she responded based on her previous experiences with steroids.
💔 A Scary Morning
Adeline describes having an anxiety attack around 5:00 in the morning.
She became frightened and returned to the same urgent care facility she had visited before. She called ahead and asked whether they had steroids because she remembered taking them previously and described the experience as feeling “magical.”
According to Adeline, she received a steroid injection and was given pills to take afterward.
💊 Her Experience With Steroids
Adeline describes feeling dramatically different while taking steroids.
She says she feels like “Superwoman” because her brain feels clearer and she has more energy.
She also explains that sleep has a major effect on how she functions after her brain injury.
When she does not get enough sleep, she says she becomes foggy and forgetful. She may also begin falling over or dropping things again.
These are Adeline’s personal experiences. Steroids are prescription medications that should only be used under the direction of an appropriate healthcare professional.
🧠 When Brain Fog Affects Everyday Life
One of the most relatable parts of the conversation is Adeline’s story about her glasses.
Before her brain injury, she had six of each type.
Over the past two years, she says she has broken many of them. Now she has only two of each type left.
She jokes that she does not have matching sets anymore, and she does not want to buy replacements until she feels confident that she will not keep breaking them.
It is a simple example of how brain injury symptoms can show up in ordinary daily activities.
Dropping things, forgetting things, feeling unsteady, or becoming overwhelmed can affect much more than we realize.
🌱 Recovery Can Change the Little Things
Brain injury recovery is often discussed in terms of major milestones, such as speech, mobility, memory, or returning to work.
But recovery can also be about everyday things.
Holding a glass.
Getting enough sleep.
Remembering where something was placed.
Moving around without falling.
Having enough energy to get through the day.
Feeling clear enough to make decisions.
These small experiences can have a major impact on someone’s independence and confidence.
😴 Sleep Matters
Adeline’s experience also highlights how strongly she notices the relationship between sleep and her symptoms.
She describes becoming more foggy and forgetful when she does not sleep enough.
For someone recovering from a brain injury, noticing these patterns can be useful information to discuss with a healthcare professional.
Keeping track of symptoms, sleep, medications, and other changes may also help you communicate more clearly with your care team.
💗 Love Love Brain Note
Brain injury recovery does not always look dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like realizing that lack of sleep makes your symptoms worse.
Sometimes it means recognizing that you are dropping more things when you are tired.
Sometimes it means asking for professional help when anxiety becomes frightening.
And sometimes it means laughing about having only two glasses left because life has changed in ways you never expected.
Adeline’s story is a reminder that recovery includes learning your own patterns and finding ways to adapt.
You do not have to pretend that everything is easy.
You can acknowledge what is difficult, ask for help, and keep learning what works for you. 💗
🎥 Watch the Video
Watch Adeline’s conversation with Dr. Eric:
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Note: Every brain injury is different. This content is for education and support, not medical advice.
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