In this video, concussion survivor and PCS advocate David Brimacombe explains why community is essential for recovering from post‑concussion syndrome (PCS). He argues that isolation and surrounding oneself with fearful or dismissive people reinforces chronic stress and keeps the nervous system “stuck.” He introduces a “recovery triangle” that outlines three complementary community roles: (1) a guide – someone who has already walked the recovery path and can provide a roadmap, shared language, and belief; (2) peers – individuals at a similar stage who can walk beside you, model small gains, and keep the focus on progress rather than negativity; and (3) mentees – people who are just beginning their PCS journey, whose need for guidance gives the mentor a chance to teach, reinforce learning, and gain hope. Brimacombe stresses that the nervous system is socially regulated, so a safe, hopeful environment creates physiological safety. He warns against negative online boards that amplify symptoms, and encourages viewers to seek supportive guides, join like‑minded peer groups, and eventually give back by mentoring newcomers. The video ends with a call to watch a related video on community‑driven healing.
Chapters
If everyone around you is stuck, fearful, or dismissive of your recovery, your nervous system is going to feel stuck too. In this video, I want to talk about how you need to get around people who are going to expand your recovery horizon. Let's begin. Hi and welcome to the PCS Resilience Collective. My name is David Brimacombe, and after having 7 concussions over 20 years, I learned that community is not a want of recovery, it is a need. In order to recover, you have to be around people who feel that your recovery is possible. When I started my recovery, I thought the best thing to do was to isolate myself, is to not bring other people into this stress. I didn't want to be a burden. I didn't want to be the person who was constantly asking for help. Little did I know is that actually created chronic stress in me. It actually created stress in my environment. Why isolation hurts. In PCS, the world around you feels unsafe. If you can surround yourself with people who create an environment of safety, of healing, of hope, then that starts to create safety in your mind, in your body. Because the nervous system isn't just a physical being, it's also socially regulated. And in this video, you'll know why community is key to your recovery. Today I want to talk about the recovery triangle. So 3 different points of community that are essential for your recovery. Now let's talk about the first one, the guide, the person who is ahead of you. I always like to say that you always want to have something to pull you forward. In this case, a person who's walked the path. You're not trailblazing, you're simply following their trail. In this case, I like to think of myself as a guide, as a mentor on this channel. I've walked this path many, many times. I've created lifestyle modifications, and in this case, a series of videos that will help you understand that those symptoms you're feeling are normal during PCS and are completely reversible with the right systems, protocols, and mindset. So when you're looking for a guide, this is someone who can have shared language, can walk you through, can normalize those situations. I know when you get to those parts of your recovery where you're at the deepest ruts, it is hard to think that recovery is possible until you know, or unless you know, that there is a path forward. A path has been walked before you. Okay? So if you have that roadmap in your mind, Belief comes thereafter. Take a few steps, greater belief follows. But without that path, without that understanding that there is a roadmap, it becomes a lot harder. The second group of people that you need in your recovery are peers, are people walking beside you. They are in similar spots in their recovery and they're looking to use similar protocols. So I like to think of my PCS Resilience Collective— we have a community. And within the community, these members are working towards the same goal. They're working towards recovery, but they're doing so in a way that is actually going to help them recover. Now, I've been around many, many PCS social media boards. I've seen good, I've seen bad, and I've seen really quite ugly things. Now, again, we all know there is an intense struggle when you have a chronic illness like PCS for Months, years, even decades for some people. But being around individuals who nag, who complain, who only want to dwell on the negatives creates a negative in you. You start to look for those symptoms. You start to feel those symptoms more. You want to relate to them. Oh yeah, you know, it has been terrible. I haven't slept in months. I haven't been able to eat what I want. I haven't been able to go out and see my friends. That all might be true. And again, I'm not trying to dismiss those feelings. They are real and they are hard to deal with. But, okay, recovery comes when you see the small steps, the small gains, the small progressions. And those small progressions come in a community with like-minded individuals who are working together, who are working for a common cause— their own mutual recovery— and they're looking at each other as someone who can help guide them, can walk beside them. To remind them that they're not going crazy. These are not abnormal. These are, these are symptoms that other people like them are feeling. And guess what? You can see that progression and that growth in someone else. Sometimes it's hard to see how you've improved, but when you look at someone else and they relate to how they maybe could not go to a grocery store for more than a minute, now they can go shopping for up to 20 minutes. That is growth. That is substantial Gains. And maybe you see that in them, and maybe you realize that it's possible in you as well. The last group of people is someone or some people who are behind you. Now, if you're at the beginning of your PCS journey, this might not be possible. But if you've been in the PCS game, if you've been recovering for a while, you've made some progress. What about people who are at the rock bottom? What are people who are at the very start? Who just received a concussion diagnosis, reaching out to them, having a conversation with them of what they can expect, what they can look forward to in terms of potential progress, and what they need to do from the start. Why this is so impactful is because teaching reinforces learning. This mode of being the teacher creates more clarity in your own situation. It reinforces those ideas that you need to practice yourself. So when you start to tell other people and they see the benefit, they see you as the guide. So you're now switching roles, going from the person who is being pulled up from the guide to being the actual guide who's actually pulling someone else up. It's the beauty of the system. It's giving back. It's providing hope for someone else. Okay, so providing— being the instructor to someone who's new to this game or struggling in the valley. of their recovery. Provides great benefit to them and to you as well. This is why community is a pillar in the PCS Resilience Collective, because community creates an understanding that healing is possible. That guide is going to pull you forward, that peer is going to work with you, and that person below you, they're going to use you as a mentor, and you are going to be better for it. Now, if you want to learn more about how community helps with healing, I want you to watch this video above. I really appreciate your time and your energy today. I appreciate you staying to the end, and I hope you have a great day.
