The Contest Challenge

I'm sorry to year you also have a brain injury. Though for me, menopause has been fantastic! It caused my menopause because my pituitary was damaged and I can't make most of my own hormones anymore, not even enough testosterone for a girl. I also can't make pregnenolone, a neurosteroid (or something, I forget) that you can just get off Amazon. THAT was my golden ticket!

I was still suicidal on the max dose of my 8th antidepressant, but then I found a TBI doc who believed me when I said I thought all my brain chemistry was messed up. He did 4 pages of blood work and was like, "Holy crap! You're a giant mess!" THANK YOU FOR NOTICING! The VA just kept telling me I was fine, chemically. He put me on a bunch of things, mostly either special supplements, vitamins, or replacements for what I can't make anymore. Within 6 months, I was off all my psych meds and feeling better than I had in YEARS! He's a miracle worker!

The reason I'm not doing too well at the moment is that for some testing through the VA, I've had to get off pretty much everything, including my pregnenolone. I was taking 7/day when I quit. YIKES! It's been rough because this or that happens and it all just drags out. I've been off everything since December! I thought I'd FINALLY be able to get back on this month, but there were some mixed results with tests and they need to do MORE. I do hope to get back on by the time school starts! My pregnenolone helps me with both depression and stress. When I was happy in North Carolina, I was taking 5 and my brain/blood levels were around 125 (don't know the units, but it doesn't matter lol). But you literally use pregnenolone up during times of stress. I find Los Angeles very stressful. Many of the people here are just not very nice to me. Thus, on 7/day my levels were still only 80. At 80, I'm frequently feeling low level depression. We just tested me recently since I've been off for so long. It was "<5" (because apparently it can't measure less than 5). No wonder I'm struggling! I need to get back on my meds, but I need to finish my testing first. HURRY UP!!!

Sorry, so my point about menopause, I've had a great time! I've had like 6-8 warm flashes in the last decade. That's it. No periods and no other symptoms, so YAY!

I'm currently in the middle of COVID. It's not great, but could definitely be worse! I'm glad you're doing better, though!

Before I went to Iraq, I'd had the opportunity to go to a seminar by one of the guys who was in the real experience of Black Hawk Down. He came back with PTSD, as you might guess. One of the things he said was to just go with the flow. He said if you jump at something, laugh it off. If you freak out about how bad off you are, you'll only make things worse. I think he's right. I came back from Iraq with really bad PTSD and think trying to laugh off panic attacks and such has really helped. I tell people they are good for me because they are the most cardio I plan to get for the day. Not only does that attitude help you not create a negative cycle that will make things worse, humor is good for you, and it helps ease tension with those around you. If you start freaking out, people will start avoiding you and losing friendships when you need them most is definitely bad!

I translated all that info to my TBI as well. Sure, sometimes I get mad about it. But I do try to joke and find the benefits of it as well. I forget a lot of things. But not everything is worth remembering. And some things are really better off being forgotten anyway.

Sorry for the long response. BTW, if you are interested in info about my TBI doc, he's a miracle worker! He's not cheap (unless you're a vet, then he has a very generous military discount), but he sees people from all over the US (and maybe the world, not sure). You have to visit him personally once a year. That's a law for doctors prescribing things. But otherwise, everything else can be done in virtually. I started seeing him when I was on the other side of the country in NC. He's here in CA. He can see folks from anywhere, so long as they fly in once a year.