Teenage Concussion
Support
It is really important to know that there is plenty of support out there for people with concussion. From family and friends to the wide range of medical professionals who can help. Their support can help prevent symptoms and speed up your recovery.
Awareness is important for support with concussion, as concussions are often invisible injuries. If you need help explaining concussion to your school or to your friends, send them here to teenageconcussion.org.
Family
Support from family makes a great difference to your recovery. If possible, bring your parents to any medical meetings so that they get all information regarding your symptoms and the recovery process. Symptoms like irritability can be as hard for siblings and parents as they are for you.
Having your own space is really important for rests and breaks during the day, but talking through symptoms with parents can really help you understand your recovery.
Friends
Letting your friends know about your concussion helps them understand the support you need. Let them know that you can’t spend time on your phone or laptop and so won’t necessarily reply to texts or Facebook messages early in your recovery. Try to spend some time with your friends one at a time so that you can stay connected despite not being able to go shopping or watch a movie with a group of friends. While you’re off school, ask a friend to keep notes from class so that they can help you catch up when you get back. Calling friends to keep up with what’s happening can also be a great alternative if symptoms make it hard to text.
School
Proper communication and support from your school can make recovery and gradual return much easier. Because of this it is important that the school understands your concussion and so can create a plan that is best for you. You may find that with some communication between your school and a doctor (or concussion clinic) special conditions (such as a rest area or extra time on assessments) can be organised by your school.
Along with this, it is also important to alert coaches of sports teams to the concussion recovery process, so that you can return to parts of the training and still sit out games. Support from school and sports teams is very important for a successful recovery because it can help when returning after your injury.
Health Professionals
There is such a huge range of health professionals who can help you with your concussion. Initially, a doctor may send you to a concussion clinic, from which you can be referred to many different people depending on your unique injury. This may include a neurologist, physiotherapist, psychologist, brain injury specialist, cranial osteopath and a speech and language therapist. With any health professional it is important for you to tell them as much as you can regarding the injury and symptoms so that they can make a diagnosis and give the treatment that is right for you.
