As the title says I was left to die in the middle of the road with a leaky brain.
I’ve been depressed ever since. I have constant suicidal thoughts. I can’t do this alone.
I know the NHS is shit, is there a way I can get help through my insurance?
I have no money atm because I’m on the sick and haven’t been paid out.
I just want to feel better again.
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Honestly, I would start by speaking to your doctor. If they aren’t able to help you, they are at least able to refer you to a specialist who can.
Edit: saw a notif about not being a dickhead and have made appropriate adjustments
You have a neurologist I would imagine?
Has there been any progress in finding the car / person who hit you?
Have you made a claim against the car owner?
You should be able to make a claim from their insurance I believe, which will form part of their theft claim, if not the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau )
The nhs is your first stop. Go and speak to your GP. Don’t discount them initially.
If you hit crisis point where you think you may do something bad you can speak to the samaritans. CALM are a good bunch too. Andys man club (if you are a man) offer some great sessions as well.
You need to speak to you GP if you have suicidal thoughts. The GP can make a referral to your Community mental health team. Don’t do this alone.
Speak to the samaritans if you are still having suicidal thoughts.
There may be peer support groups for brain injury in your area. Advice given by others may be very beneficial and they are most often free of charge.
As well as your GP look for local charities. Mind and Rethink Mental Illness are two who offer support in the community. Even if they don’t have services in your area, they might know other charities which do.
> I know the NHS is shit,
Have you actually tried it? Talked to your GP about the issue? That’s the place to try first.
What’s the insurance situation like?
They should be giving you interim payments. They should also be giving you proper medical support because it is in their own interest to address issues before they worsen.
Even if the driver was unidentified there is a process you can claim through (Motor Insurance Bureau).
Funnily enough yesterday I had a mental health referral and I have epilepsy. Obv not to the extent you’re going through but my docs have been amazing.
Are you speaking to the neurology depart cause they can refer you there as well. Don’t live miserably cause it’s brutal and I feel you. There is something out there for you, I’m still figuring it out. I don’t know if you’re f/m/they but there’s Andy’s Man Club, community nurses (as someone else said) and support groups for people like us with dodgy brains.
Don’t suffer in your head, you’re already doing it and go phone the docs.
I have an issue whereby my brain is often starved of oxygen, causing me to have small blackouts, feel lost and confused, can’t think of words, names, places, people, what happened a few minutes ago etc. I get very depressed, isolated, and stressed out very easily.
I’m not comparing it directly to your leak, but I understand it’s slightly similar in the way that it’s mental issues caused by a physical condition.
Help is out there, dont take no for an answer and stand up for yourself. I pushed with my GP and was put on CBT for depression and anxiety, which helped me to find and accept my limitations. It doesn’t cure things, of course, but talking helps.
It was operated by a branch of the ‘Turning Point’ charity who do a lot of different things to help people in trouble. Hopefully, they have something in your area. I would suggest searching your area for them and others and seeing who offers talking therapies like this as it might be easier to get straight in with them. There are community groups and such if you are up to them. Sadly I wasn’t but I really hope you can do it. Sounds like you can.
I also lost my job due to my confusion. Said I had an attitude problem and dumped me. Apparently, I argued with people. However, I thought I was just asking questions or trying to justify my thought processes to them. I never shout, I am a very quiet person. My GP said it wasn’t on because I have a medical issue and I should contact ACAS, but I couldn’t cope with it mentally.
I commend you for taking steps I haven’t ever managed to. Make sure they pay for putting you through that.
I’m sorry to hear about the bullshit car issue. That’s plain stupid. Hopefully, they’ll realise it was a hoax theft report and see through the lies eventually and sort you out. If not, I hope you get a payout from the uninsured, unidentified pot. You deserve it.
There are often local mental health charities. Near me is one called Cellar Trust. There may be a bit of a wait, but it isn’t long.
Highly recommend the charity Headway for advice and support with brain injuries. The website has a lot of information I think would be useful to you and they also have local groups and a support line you can call. I hope you’re feeling better soon.
Go and get yourself signed up for disability and PIP in the immediate term, there are a lot of charities and community hubs around who will have someone specifically for help with this kind of thing. That will at least alleviate your money concerns in the near term. They both take some time to get completed but they will back pay you and you can get UC immediately for help with rent etc.
If you have more time with less stress, then you can focus better on improving your brain situation, however that is accomplished. I don’t know enough about brain recovery type things to comment on that aspect.
If you can, get to a private GP who can refer you to a neurologist, or find a sympathetic NHS GP who will give you a free referral. There are some who will do this. Don’t give up until you get the referral you need. I had a condition where I made too much brain fluid and this was the only way I got any support.
Once you get to a neuro they can provide better medical support and you will be able to contact occupational therapists, get some counselling, and they’ll make sure you get any financial support you’re entitled to, because trust me, you are entitled to multiple things you’re probably not getting.
Hope it all goes well, and I’m sorry for everything you’ve gone through.
Man, that’s brutal, sorry to hear that 🙁 Maybe check if your insurance covers mental health stuff, cause waiting on the NHS can be a nightmare.
Have you started a claim? They usually start paying out very quickly for interim treatment, don’t just use any old solicitor, try looking online at injury support network and ringing them!
Get in touch with CICA to seek compensation
Are the NHS that bad, treatment can require persistence to attain, but once you are in their care I have found them excellent.
Also go to CICA website and try a compensation form. You maybe eligible for that
NHS is great at acute medicine
I don’t have any answers, man. I just wanna say don’t give up. People don’t grasp the bottomless malice of the human heart, and you did not deserve this. Stay strong, man!
Leaky brain..? is that the official diagnosis?
The NHS is not shit just well under funded and yes if you look there is help out there “google” it loads of help free out there but I would start at the doctors and keep persisting until they refer you. MIND may be a good start or the charity HEADWAY may be able to help!
Have you started a personal injury claim?
You’re entitled to privately funded treatment and a solicitor will make sure you get it.
I work in personal injury rehabilitation, happy to give you some advice if you want to PM me.
Uninsured driver. Please say someone has referred you to the Motor Insurance Bureau mib.org.uk
Every Motor Insurance Policy contributes towards this organisation for this very reason.
You are probably quite traumatised. I was given EMDR which is a trauma therapy on the NHS and was given 6 months worth of sessions. They give you much more sessions for trauma than they do normal counselling. You can refer yourself on the NHS website for your local area. Good luck!
NHS talking therapies is really good in my area, it’s definitely worth getting on the waitlist while you find something through your insurance
Discuss this with your GP. There are options for you.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau covers claims against uninsured drivers
Yes, you are entitled to compensation through your insurers, what are they saying about it?
Edit: btw if your insurers are not playing ball then you need to contact the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) who handle things when the driver is uninsured, untraced, or the insurance company refuses to pay
I don’t know what I would do in your situation, and I’m sorry this has happened to you.
Did you not get any compensation from the police/council or the person who ran you over. Any money payout that could enable you to pay for a professional re your issue now?
Hey I survived a nasty TBI about 9 years ago – it’s a really long recovery, but can totally do this! Don’t give up on yourself! I’m still getting better. Every day things get a bit easier, I notice that I can do things I couldn’t before, and you’re absolutely going to find that the same happens to you.
I was discharged from hospital after five rounds of brain surgery and 414 days, and my route to a whole load of therapy started at my GP, but what they offered me at the time was pretty limited. I think this should be your start, like stop reading this post and call right now.
After my injury I was able to make the case for extended sessions (duration, total number) based on a neurological disability but I had to push really hard for this because my injury isn’t clear when you’re just having a conversation with me, and you might be the same. The only sign I have is my scar, so you absolutely want to be pushing this as hard as you can. I think I ended up with 16 weeks of 60 minutes per week, but it was a while ago.
After my injury I was diagnosed with acquired epilepsy, so once my GP referral ran out I turned to my epilepsy / neurology clinic. They then offered me more through their service, but again it was limited to something like ten sessions which is another step if you’ve had that diagnosis, but I’m aware that this varies by clinic and location. That would probably be your next call, and they might be able to send you on to someone more specialised as well, as they did with me.
Finally, have you been referred to outpatient neuro rehabilitation? I was in the north when I had my injury, but I’m currently (all this time later) in an NHS neuropsychology clinic down here in London that have offered (counselling) psychological support alongside rehabilitative services. You may also have an occupational therapist, and I would recommend either reaching out to them for advice or really pushing for your neurologist to refer you to one asap. You can ask your GP to do this, it might be possible, but IIRC the referrals usually come from a neurologist so YMMV.
You’re not alone here I promise you. There are support networks out there but it’s an absolute minefield. As others have said, headway are a good place to look as well, and they run local support groups, my local group in Wimbledon are good and there’s another in Richmond and Croydon as well, and in Sheffield where I had my accident. Get in touch with them, they will help you as well and the groups will be run by people who have experience working with brain injury. Please don’t give up – there are people who can help. The road isn’t short or easy but this isn’t the end.