Helping Concussion and Suspected CTE Patients in Crisis

This webinar from the Concussion Legacy Foundation focuses on helping family and friends support those struggling with lingering concussion symptoms or suspected CTE who are experiencing mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CLF CEO Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. was joined by mental health experts Dr. David Reiss, a psychiatrist for over 30 years who treats suspected CTE patients, and Dr. Ciara Dockery, Director of the NFL Life Line, who offered advice for caregivers of concussion and suspected CTE patients to help prepare them for dealing with a mental health crisis.

Panelists also included Noah Abrams, a former college soccer player who has first-hand experience coping with Post-Concussion Syndrome, and CLF Family Advisory Board member Karen Kinzle Zegel, who lost her son Patrick Risha to suicide and donated his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, where he was diagnosed with CTE.

To learn more about CTE and PCS, visit the following resources:

[laurakrigtrup]

I wish I would have watched this so much sooner. Thank you so much for putting this out there.

[tcagle]

Definitely helpful. Thanks for being vulnerable.

[jmacers]

The hardest part for me has been when there's an obstacle in the treatment, I don't have the focus or the energy to deal with it. After a year with pcs I finally met with a specialist and she set me up with an occupational physiotherapist, and to have an eye exam and an mri . After a couple sessions with the physio I found out that our insurance doesn't cover it. We can't afford for me to keep going, as i've been unable to work with any consistency. I also received a call from the eye dr and they said they don't do the concussion program anymore. With the stress and anxiety from these symptoms and financial strain I feel paralyzed most days and have mostly lost hope. My wife, children and mother have the most understanding but I haven't fully disclosed my struggles with anyone. Many family members don't know that I have pcs, and some that do don't seem to think that I should still be experiencing any issues.

[andre]

Great information, thanks for sharing!!

[laurakrigtrup]

I lost my son at age 20 to suicide. I truly believe he had some form of CTE, but it was never diagnosed. Without going in to to much detail, it is a real thing that most people ignore or play it down.

[sharonendler]

I am deeply disappointed that this organization has not recognized the completely underserved community of those of us who are barely surviving the decades long symptoms, that I have only realized is PCS from multiple concussions and strangulations from my abusive ex husband. it never goes away- " The Body Keeps the Score"- vestibular issues, profound insomnia, HPA -T axis dysfunction, significant decline in cognitive function, short term and working memory, inability to plan, organize, extreme forgetfulness and loosing things, horrible decisions that have profoundly effected my precious children, over reactions, extreme startle reflex that sometimes make me scream- even common things like a doorbell ringing or a ringtone on my phone. There is not a day that goes by that I want to continue to live though I won't ever hurt myself because it will just further hurt my children. I am alienated from my children because of my angry outbursts, over reactions, clumsiness, headaches, vision issues, inability to read for very long and reading comprehension so say nothing of the cervical and lumbar spinal damage from abuse. And like this precious mom speaking of her son Patrick all that was ever done was plummeting me with every psych. drug category these is from antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants, atypical anti-psychotics.

i am weeping for Karen. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO REGRET

You did everything you could have possibly done. You were trusting the experts just like I have.

God bless all who do this work

[evtripslv]

Last fight 06. Problem start late 2014. Getting worse each year.