The items on the foregoing  Journal of Daily Experiences,  represent many of the impairments or difficulties that commonly follow brain injury. Individually, the effects of such impairments may be quite subtle, but collectively, they can be quite devastating. The Journal of Daily Experiences was designed to track and measure such impairments. 

    You know you need help when such impairments substantially interfere with your ability to perform your normal daily activities. It is a good idea to keep your doctor advised of the appearance on any of the symptoms on this chart.  This chart can help you identify things that you want to change that are not especially troublesome. You should consult a doctor regarding any and all items on that list that causes you to feel concern. 

  Conditions such as auras, altered consciousness, weird reveres, flashing lights in your head, metallic taste in your mouth, smelling fragrances that others do not smell, or hearing music that others do not hear, muscle spasms or twitching, feelings of disembodiment or observing yourself from afar, vague longing or yearning, raging, crying or laughing for no apparent reason might signify seizure activity. In such cases you might want to pursue a seizure assessment. Your doctor and/or The National Epilipsy Foundation ,  http://www.headinjury.com/linksepil.htm,  can refer you to a center in your area where you can obtain such an assessment. 

     Anger, anxiety, and anxiousness, rapid mood swings, depression, feeling blue, fearful, guilt, rapid mood swings, listlessness, paranoia, feelings of panic, irritability, and loneliness and other such symptoms might signify psychological disorders. For such conditions you should first seek a medical assessment; then choose a doctor with special training and interests in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders that result from brain injury, see Doctor Finder. 

     Difficulties concentrating, mental tracking, making decisions, executing or doing things, initiating or starting things, along with diminished analytical skills, diminished capacity for reality testing , attentional defects, etc., have to do with cognition or knowing and doing things. Often such problems respond well to cognitive rehabilitation. Centers that specialize in diagnosing and treating head injuries are good sources of cognitive rehabilitation. Visit the Rehab Facilities,   http://www.headinjury.com/rehabfacility.htm, page on headinjury.com for a rehab center near you.

Difficulties communicating, stuttering, finding and expressing words, understanding and being understood are the stuff of speech pathology. The National Aphasia Foundation can provide information about such communications disorders. Conditions such as, blurred and/or double vision, floaters, blind spots and visual neglect fall within the purview of opthometrics, or vision specialists that treat vision difficulties caused by physical trauma, such as head injury. See Vision Disorders

    Heart pounding, rapid pulse, shallow respiration, headache or pain, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, might signify brain injury impairments they could also indicate other medical conditions, and should be evaluated by a knowledgeable physician. Refer to the Doctor Finder, http://www.headinjury.com/doctorfind.htm,  page on headinjury.com  for guidelines on selecting and evaluating  doctors and practitioners that treat these and other such conditions. Also see TBI Programs and Support Groups