Daniella F.

Around the age of twelve, I developed anxiety and depression. My mom and dad were able to pick up on vibes that I was giving off. I was not happy a lot of the time. I also was not the best behaved student at school, as I was constantly getting into trouble and sent to the office. Once my parents got wind of this, they decided to take me to my family doctor. The doctor listened to my feeling in which he diagnosed me with anxiety and depression. He than referred me to a counselor and in the meantime put me on anti-depressants. I was pretty embarrassed and definitely did not want all the attention on me. I went to counseling off on and for years. It really helps having someone you can connect with and feel comfortable talking to. Through the years I have battled hard to maintain a steady rhythm with myself, I knew my anxiety was both going away so, I needed to learn to live with it and I did. Until that is, I suffered from a severe concussion about two years ago. 

I was playing volley-ball when my teammate and I collided, I fell back and hit my head extremely  hard on a gym floor. Dazed, in pain, and nauseous I was taken to the hospital where I was told my diagnosis of a head injury. I instantly had to stop working and going to school at night. A couple weeks went by, and I had thought I'd get better, but my symptoms only worsened. I had short-term memory loss, could not handle loud noises, and my brain felt like it just got fired. It felt like I was a bear that needed to go into hibernation— I was so tired and my eyes would ache with discomfort from the light. People always hear about concussions, but never know the agony and struggle they face suffering from one. Now, many months had gone by and still no improvement. I went to so many doctors appointments and even a neurologist which pretty much said I need to be patient and wait for the symptoms to fade.

“A lot of people don’t realize anxiety and depression is especially common in concussion patients. ”

All of that anxiety and depression that I thought I had control over steamrolled back. I got to the point where I didn't want to leave my house because of fear, my emotions were all over the place, I was always crying and just felt really unhappy all the time. I felt like no matter what I did I was not getting better. I started to feel like I was going crazy. I started to notice my family's frustration because they were not able to do anything to help me. I took matters into my own hands and found a sports medicine clinic near my house. I called and got an appointment eight and half months after my accident happened.

“ I owe it to the clinic for helping save myself and making me feel human again.”

When I went to my first appointment I had met Drew and Leslie, they were literally a godsend. Without me getting into to much detail they knew exactly what I was feeling and experiencing. They had also said a lot of people don't realize anxiety and depression is especially common in concussion patients. Once Leslie checked me out she found that one of the veins in my neck was pinched by my bone which had cut off the proper blood flow to my brain for the last eight months. She told me once she fixes that problem I will get a head rush and blush cheeks from the rush and lack of blood for so long. Once Lelise did this, my horrible headaches started to slowly fade and she continued to fix me. I suffered some pretty intense whip-lash that everything inside of me was stuck and hurting. Lucky for my parents and for some saved income I had, we continue paying for these sessions. I owe it to the clinic for helping save myself and making me feel human again. It's been about two years now and I am still seeking sports therapy and self therapy. 

An image from Daniella's Instagram account

Now, I can proudly say I graduated from college as a child youth worker and have started going back to work. I still struggle to trust myself, I often fear that something else may happen to me, and am always anticipating the worst. But I NEVER GIVE UP. Anxiety is not an easy disorder to have. Our thoughts can really in prison us in our heads. A common misconception is for people to automatically think there’s nothing wrong with you, because you appear fine on the outside. I have started an Instagram to help keep me positive and connect with others going to a similar thing.

My family has been a great support for me. I can talk to them about my feelings, and they have helped me financially for all of my appointments. I received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I found the therapy to be helpful, it caused me to talk more about my issues and look further into ways of healing. The biggest thing CBT taught me is to realize my fears and face them, I know this would not be easy and I still face challenges on a daily basic, but I've definitely seen an improvement in myself. Furthermore, if it was not for my boyfriend I do not know where I'd be today. Never once has he passed judgement towards me or my feelings. If I ever need to talk he is always there to listen with an open ear, he never forces me to do anything I no longer feel comfortable with. He sends me messages with positive quotes, pictures, tells me how much he loves me, hugs me tight if I'm upset or feeling anxious, and supports and encourages my recovery.  

When I feel particularly anxious, I use essential oils on my wrists. I also work out, practice yoga, and meditate. I am a creative person so I love to draw, paint or make things. At the moment i am not playing any sports although, i am practicing yoga at home as well as some cardio. My goal would be to returned to volley-ball and soccer.