well its good you know better. I had terrible problems with anger for the first few years too and I still have issues with impulse control.
She was obviously wrong to say that and perhaps you should look into changing to a doctor you feel you can relate to more.

Why are they giving you seizure meds to loose weight. They are for mood stabilization and seizures. What the hell? I have been told by my neurologist that anger and depression are just part of traumatic brain injury depending on where the damage is. It is hard to control anger for a lot of people and early on I know that I had it but dont remember it. It was very early on, not months out. If you are still having anger issues or have always had them, then I would get on a different medication by a qualified psychiatrist who is also a medical doctor. Impulse control and anger are serious issures that can't be taught. That much I believe but dont knoew for sure. I am sorry that you are going through this. That ass ............I really am sorry, but you will meet some bad doctors. Just like there are bad cops, bad people, bad parents, etc. Everyone is fallable.

It's interesting...perhaps because I wasn't there to hear the Doctor's tone of voice...I took what she said a different way.

I took it as her trying to make you not feel bad about your injury.

But - I do agree with you - that it's important for us to do what we can to deal with our injuries.

First, let me say thank you to all of you that have replied to my post. I have been feeling kinda of edgy and sensitive lately. I may have taken what she said out of context. She is really a very good doctor and this is the first time that I have had any type of disagreement in anything she has said.
My primary care doctor put me on the topamax to lose weight. It is a siezure medication but one of the side effects is weight loss. He had aked me if I had been on it before, and I had told him no. So I guess part of it was my fault. But anyway, as far as that guy that raped and killed that little girl, Im tired of hearing about people with brain injuries or other problems blaming thier actions on their injuries and not owning up to thier actions.
She probably didnt mean it the way it sounded, but it just stuck with me and the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became.
Seems like I made a mountain out of a mole hill.
Jenn

I know what you mean about crimes & brain injury. I find it bothersome that we're hearing a lot about people with brain injuries committing violent crimes...but we don't hear about the heroic efforts brain injury survivors make to live and make this world a better place.

Also...as I was writing back to you, I was thinking that I hoped I didn't sound insensitive. I just wanted to share how it came across to me, but I wasn't there, so it might have sounded different in person.

I too have been a bit edgy the past couple of weeks...I think holiday busyness is particular hard on us BI survivors.

Hugs to you Pogo!

I take TopomaX for migraines. I think anyone can relate to edgy and sensitive. Like Elaine I was thinking that I was reacting only I was too emotional in my response. I think it is human nature, but TBI does not help at all in fact, in my case it is amplified constantly. Not in a bad way thankfully, but still .....................................

It seems that you're reading to much into what she said, I'm sure that she didn't mean it that way, but more of a "don't let worry ruin your life," otherwise all you do is worry.

Unfortunately stats. from CDC show that anywhere from 40-80% of people in jail have suffered a brain injury. Impulse control issues, anger, mood swings, inability to communicate properly, resistance to some kinds of authority, confusion with latest trends in policing, and what's right & wrong - so many factors for all of, but made so much harder for those with TBI. its not an excuse, its a reality. and the laws aren't supportive to "extenuating conditions" like brain injury, mental illness, or other conditions like Autism, Altzheimers where choices to do right or wrong are blurred by the condition. Example - an older gent. suffereing dementia or Alzheimers does something deemed innappropriate in front of his grandaughter? STraight to JAIL?? One acusation by a family member, and he's gone. Same for a child with Autism, my friends son, sometimes hits his classmates on the bottom, or has been known to poke his teacher in the chest, if she make an acusation to the police he'd be in Juvey. Its not right, and there needs to be some middle ground. i know you all know right from wrong, but still sometimes in the heat of the moment someone with a brain injury may make a bad call, that can lead them into a WHOLE mess of trouble.

I was on topamax for a short time. Very bad side effects, not a med for me. But I did get seizures after first tbi. Over here now they have an advertisement on tv that I find bad. its about people who have depression, mental illness etc, and now they have added left handed people and show pictures of them. Our son is left handed, no problem with that, I just find the way they have done the whole thing in bad taste. very down putting to all from my understanding.