You’re a legend Sterling, I learned so much this episode about the affects of a brain injury and how selflessness ultimately, will make us happier people. Best episode yet, thanks for sharing your story 🙏
Thank you for opening up about this Sterling. I had a Brain Injury at 13, major motor cross accident, fractured my skull right on the frontal lobe I was literally a vegetable for months. When I finally came round after I thought I was 9. Lost years off my life. My memory’s been messed up ever since, especially short term memory. Even close family said that my personality completely changed after that, and not for the better either, it took years for me sort myself out. I had such a difficult time adjusting to normality after that accident. No one understood what was going on. I understand what you went through buddy. I’m glad you found a great doctor who helped you! Keep doing the podcasts too I don’t even surf much, once a year maybe in France and I’m crap at it but I watch all of your episodes and love it! Thank you 🏄♂️
I found your channel two months ago and I thought I had watched all of your podcasts… wild how this was the only one I hadn’t watched. You usually have me in tears of laughter, but you had me in tears of life tonight. Even though I don’t know you personally, I am super proud of you brochacho. Takes a man who really embodies the 12th to be so transparent with the mental trials and tribulations of your journey. Much love from Colorado 🫶🏼-Andrew
16:50 ish. Sterling, as a recovering addict I could feel this rocking my soul. Society shunning you. You being out of sync with the beat everyone seems to walk to. It's very hard to deal with the extreme emotional rollercoaster that comes with alienation from the society you live in. I've lived in my car. I've been to that place, and it really does cut you deep. Not to mention the fact that this is combined with everything else you're dealing with. It's something that changes you, and you'll never be the same person after. Thank you for sharing this and showing that a person can lift themselves out of such a thing. I also have to thank you for putting a spotlight on those pour souls out there, who are just like you said, "really hurting." It takes a person experiencing such pain to really grasp how beautiful it is to have a gypsy lady massaging your feet when 99% of people won't look at you. Thank you for this.
Much love! What an eye-opening podcast.... So glad you've shared your story, this will help others for sure and so happy you made it out the other side.
This was so authentic and insightful. Guys I never expected to hear such a deep podcast about loneliness, mental health, life and what it means to be human from two cool dudes in a van. Much strength to you 🤙
Everything you describe is just how I felt and still feel this is also my 5th year after my head injury, no one believed I was really injured, I still live with the pain, ptsd, anxiety, depression you name it . Thank you so much for sharing.
My father passed from a TBI in 2015 he sustained in 2004 during a motorcycle accident. The course of his injury took 11 years for him to pass. I couldn’t agree with you more, we have to change the perception of these injuries. The fact that you have the strength to open up and talk about this subject gives me hope that more people will come to understand the impact these injuries not only have on the person directly but also the impact it has indirectly on family, friends and loved ones. Thank you so much for sharing and I hope people can find the help and support they need if such a situation arises. Much love Sterling
Absolute legend Sterling. To go through such a traumatic event that fundamentally changed every aspect of your life and to still roll around with stoke…inspirational dude.
We need better Mental Health Services in this country. Ever since I learned about TBI from your show, I can’t stop seeing homeless people and feeling like they have a TBI but no one to help them through or no way to know what’s wrong or lack of money. I pray that your message goes far and wide and that we as citizens or humans can figure out a way to help others in need. I think we can manifest a solution. At the very least thank you for restoring respect for the homeless population. They are probably some of the strongest among us ❤️ Congratulations on making it out of such a deeply challenging time and thank you for sharing your gained wisdom with us who didn’t come through the mud
Incredibly enlightening 47mins Sterling and Ryan. Thanks so much for sharing. Some deep truths on the reality of illness and homelessness and how quickly society can shun its own. ❤
I went through a similar thing the last 1.5 years with long covid. It felt like a brain and body injury with brain fog, shortness of breath and all kinds of other crazy symptoms. I had to move back in with my parents as a 44 year old guy. Everything thing you said about rest, diet and supplements was critical to my recovery. I’m glad to hear your story and you’re getting better. I also live in Florida and went to Hawaii for a month to heal and get inspired (i used to live big island). It was hard being out of my bedroom, the experience pushed me in a good way, and after that I still felt compromised, and was pretty depressed and grouchy and touchy. That is all slowly starting to pass, and I’m feeling the continued gradual improvement. It’s a process and takes time. Thanks for sharing and being funny and the funny videos and stories. You know da rules! 🤙🏼
TBH I think LC contributed more to his illness. I am going through the same thing, Exactly the same symptoms/timings/dynamic. For me it was just a "mild" Covid.
@@alexanderrubtsov181 I think we are goi g to find out over time just how serious the virus was. I looked back at my text messages from that recovery time and I was so crazy. I’m glad that’s over. Meditation helped me a whole lot.
@@applegreentech Time helps and heals. Even tho I am better I am still very sick. the virus is horrendous. My first infection was fine. The second one ruined my life.
@@STERLINGSPENCER Well you just replaced Bengravey and Nathan… As far as RU-vid surfing channels… Do you got a great story… My favorite athlete Dale Earnhardt Junior. Had three concussions in six weeks… Had to retire from driving… I was a wise ass half pint jock… Many concussions… Now I’m having essential tremors… And serious memory problems… Unfortunately I think we’re both going to end up with CTE… I might have to drive to Pensacola and be a guest on the show… If I remember… Ha ha ha I love you man
Thank you Sterling 🙏🏼 I had some concussions as a kid. One in particular I was hit by a car on my bike as an early teen and hospitalized for a few days with a brain bleed.. I recovered being young but didn't realize how much it had affected me. Later on, i was seriously depressed all the time, suicidal and acted out a lot. Turned to drugs and alcohol. For a couple years was homeless and completely lost...Years after I finally got my life together, finding peace out in the mountains, found God, and started healing all my traumas. It really dawned on me that the accident caused a great deal of emotional and physical turmoil. There should definitely be more awareness for TBI's. I could have died and no one in my family knew what was wrong with me. All i needed was some care and a healing environment to "wrap my head around" my experience... Thank God, I made it through the darkness 🙏🏼 Grew up surfing ESA, ponce inlet area. I can really relate to all your stories Loving the podcast, Thank you guys, God bless 🧡
Sterling, thank you SO MUCH. Went through the same thing with my TBI. The lack of support from people still haunts me today. This was cathartic. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Mr Spencer I hope this message finds you well My wife had viral meningitis 10 years ago this month and the effects are beyond belief still today I believe I lost her that day all though she made it through with 3 weeks of intensive pain relief IV’s and antiviral IV’s then off to Kindred rehabilitation for another 2 weeks to learn how to walk, eat with silverware and tie her shoes. She still and always will be a survivor of meningitis but will never be the same as it takes a little bit of her away from me every day. It’s inspiring that your story has come full circle and you’re doing so much better after your brain injury. To those out there with loved ones with brains that have been hurt hang tough and try to be there for them best you can as we suffer on the sidelines as well. My best to you Mr. Spencer Rob T Her brain was attacked especially in the frontal lob
words cant begin to express how grateful i am for you talking about what you went through and the feelings you felt of being alone with no one to understand. you have helped me so much just by letting it be seen THANK YOU
Wow I feel like I know, way more, than I felt like I already knew. You’ve opened my heart,mind and soul. The tribe like mentality is where it’s at. Mahalo nui loa for this reminder
💯Thx 4 ur story! Brain injury changes any1 & a BFF who had a traumatic head injury from a bar sign falling on him. I’d wish I’d known how much it will change a man cuz I def wasn’t as graceful as my friend deserved 4 sho
Great episode. I love your humanity Sterling Spencer and to get to hear stuff like this on 'social media' is pretty rare and really appreciated. Take it from the man and stay real.
Dude you have had an opportunity to get special insight many people Will never get. The hard Way! “ the go get a job” statement is many times not just. Many people battle with stuff but get stigmatized and never get on to their feet Again. Hope you use it for good! Much respect from Denmark!
Unbelievable. I have had a loved one suffer from TBI and much as I tried to help, I wish I had seen this episode beforehand (sadly it happened before your injury). What a deep, meaningful story. I hope you keep getting better every day. Thank you 🙏
thank you so so much SERLING! for giving voice to what so many of us have not been able to. what a gift you are ! move on move forward and get back to enjoying the bitter sweetness that is life !
Thanks for your story. I don’t have TBI but I suffer from anxiety and depression. We all don’t have the same symptoms when it comes to mental illness but we all suffer the same way, it’s scary, shameful, people close don’t understand, it’s crap and a million other things but all we can do is wake up everyday put one foot in front the other and hope for a better day. You’re so right when say “ just help someone” because you really do feel great! Thanks my braddah and if I see you in Hawaii I definitely tell you HOWZIT!
I started watching PMS a few days ago from the latest backwards. Been surfing for 40 years so the random pro stories hooked me and you're buffoonery is all time and gets funnier each time I watch. This episode tho shows just how much more further developed your perspective is than 99.9% of the donkeys hee-hawing their way through life, and I'd wager your upbringing (ie: exposure to so much more than the general population experiences) enabled that. Thank genetics for being a thoroughbred (physical), and environment/Mom and Dad (mental) that has equipped you to sprack an air again and is surely leading you back to regularly getting inverted.
You just painted such a vivid picture reality of some of the days that you had to live during your unknown brain injury at the time. I think I’m the only one who knows that I have changed for the worse from my bad concussions I’ve endured throughout my BMX riding lifestyle. I could see myself part of the homeless community often just because I can’t get rid of the depression and move forward sometimes. It’s so weird. You coming out of this injury so witty and natural sharp is rad
Bawling my eyes out in a public place for all the people our societies so readily allow to slip through the cracks. So many friends lost,all over the world. Lots of love to you Brother, thank you for this.
I just want to let you know that me and my wife enjoy your program and we laugh are ass off before we go to bed, didn’t know that people go through injuries like that, what a eye opener. Thanks for your honesty.
I don’t know anything about surf culture. I’m a dad of 3 in the Midwest. I love comedy and somehow got in the surf algorithm of RU-vid. My son and I were watching shorts and he loves the one where Sterling is doing the voiceover where Uncle slams into the guy who dropped in on him. Anyway so I started watching the podcast episode by episode because you guys just make me laugh and give me something light hearted to enjoy. And then this episode hits and you had me in tears. So meaningful and insightful. Thanks Sterling and Ryan for sharing. I’m subscribed and here for the journey.
Amazing, amazing life experience you've opened up about. Thank you Sterling for being willing to do that. And Ryan, are awesome for helping him tell it, and for your humor along the way. I didn't live the Sterling Spencer life, but I did live the homeless and cast from society thing. And the few people that showed empathy, and concern for me when I was sleeping at a park every night and walking around with a plastic bag that had my sheet in it during the day, I will never forget. So glad you're doing better though, and am thankful being a surf fan exposed me to Pinch My Salt!
F*cking love you both. I've shared this with folks who work in mental health and physio therapy just to keep shedding light on how real and heavy these injuries are. Thank you so much for being real with us.
I'm glad your doing a little better. I was in a bad car accident where I didn't have my seat belt on and flipped my car 4 times. I was in induced coma for like 6 weeks. I get irritated easy, My short term memory is shot. I get migraines daily. I Feel you man. I hope it gets better for you and for myself. Little steps I was told.
Hey sterling the advice you gave at the end about taking time away from the phone and any kind of stimulus and eating good food and relaxing to things like music is so good. I think this is the root of healing, what I realised when I had a health crisis a few years back I wanted to fix things the way I always had, going on head on at it, working hard to fix it. Healing is allowing, you got to give your body space to rebuild, it knows what to do. If you try to put a building down without any foundations it’ll collapse. It took me a while to realise I didn’t have the foundations yet to reintroduce a lot of the things I was doing before I was ill. Once I let myself recuperate and just be where I was at the healing started to happen.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and pain. When I first got into recovery and was giving out a wine list of my troubles at a table, This older lady told me to shut up. "Me Me ME is all I hear you saying!" She said go find a old lady and go cut her grass for her and tell no one. Its not to feed your ego, if tell anyone you need to find someone else help them until you can keep it to yourself. You will look back on today and have no idea what you were even complaining about because your just going to feel so much better. "if you want to find yourself, lose yourself in helping others" Gandhi
This is such a beautiful episode and really encapsulates the depths of your understanding of love and life and solutions for the world ❤️🙏 you’re a beautiful soul and a blessing
Thanks for doing this episode. So much humanity and compassion. What a brutal ordeal you've dealt with as well. I'm happy you're surfing again and still able to skewer the surfing world. Thanks for all the laughs, truly.
This is incredibly moving. Sterling has brought smiles to so many and to see the pain he went through and how much hurt he endured in isolation is incredibly sad. Talking about the financial realities of illness in America is important too. So many people go through this and never get to tell their stories. All bodies are sacred, no matter what states they are in. Thank you Sterling for sharing and being vulnerable. You're an amazing person and I hope your story raises awareness. Keep rippin my dude!!!
Holy TBI Sterling! I was putting this video off but so happy that I watched it today and that you are better now! Thanks for your candor and vulnerability. Huge hugs... and electric bikes are still better than soft tops. The synchronicity is real.
Love you so much Spencer 💗 you are hilarious and wise at the same time. Stoked you're feeling much better now! Sending love, hugs & infinite abundance in everything your heart wishes for 🏖🥰🌺 Mahalo for your courage, tenacity & authenticity 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks so much for sharing your story Sterling. My wife is just about to graduate with a masters of acupuncture after acupuncture was the only thing that helped her heal from a severe concussion and whiplash from a car accident. TBI's are so scary, and need to be talked about more for sure, and having someone with your platform open up like this is one of the things that will help make that change. Thanks for the laughs, and keep taking care of yourself! Lots of love brother!
I'm so sorry you had to go through that and feel so alone, the timing with it being Covid/lockdowns and what not would not have helped the isolation... It surprises me as you are so celebrated in the community with such a wide network you'd think people would have been there, or tried to understand. It reflects a lot about society. Thanks for being vulnerable Spencer, you're an awesome human and a gem in what's left of surfing :)
This Video is so great, I also had a head/brain injury and what you describe just makes me feel I am not alone, in this painfull reality. Nooooo one undertands unless you've been injured. Thanks so much for sharing. Peace and love from P.R.
Sterling. You are a warrior. I remember growing up surfing with you randomly. I grew up in PCB. I’m now living in Puerto Rico. You are truly a hometown hero. I can only imagine the journey you have been on. I’m so happy that you’ve got the help and support you needed. It’s truly amazing how great it is to have a tribe of friends and family. Bless up brother. See you in the water one day! The lotus flower 🪷 vibe is real. Yewwww. Keep da gills wet braddah. You know da rulez!
Such great take aways. I try to truly see people living on the street, look them in the eye when I have and exchange, and not just dismiss them. Sometimes erratic behavior makes that harder. This episode cuts through the barriers, and made me feel that universal connection. I make jokes all the time to combat the if you don’t laugh you’ll cry stuff. Knowing you guys love cracking up as much as I do, makes a serious episode have all the more gravity. I know you’re getting more popular all the time, but right now it seems very personal still that you guys speak to a mere 40,000 of us who tap in to get a huge dose of humanity. Always looking forward to the next one, and still surprised I haven’t heard all the past ones yet. Hope you have a lot of gas left in the tanks. You do help people.
Fuck man, the human body can be so tough yet so fragile. I’m someone who loves everything comedy just as much as I love surfing and I’m stoked that you are still here to bring those two worlds together for someone like me. You’re an absolute legend and we love you just the way you are m8❤️
Thank you so so much for sharing. I understand it’s not easy to talk about. What an excellent episode filled with love and messages of support. As a fellow surfer currently dealing with a severe head injury and struggling this was an incredibly powerful and emotional episode. I’m so grateful towards you for your hilarious surf comedy and positive messages, but mostly for being strong enough to put yourself out there and share your story in hopes of helping others. Thank you Sterling! ❤ 🤙
Wether it's coming from a podcast episode, or a setting where you're having a casual conversation with a friend/group of people, just being able to talk about an experience like this or similar to sterlings is hard. Explaining it is even harder because of the struggle for others to relate. I truly hope this podcast can reach those that struggle daily and encourage them to reach out to others and find help. Don't give up.
Awesome. I have a similar experience with being misunderstood by friends and doctors. Having to find the energy to find the right help. You did well. Slow stress free existence helped, and for me it was good to socially isolate. Much love
You are the man Sterling. I know that was hard for you to talk about. It's great to hear someone who went through something like that give their honest opinion about it. I am happy you are doing good man
You're a legend Sterling. I wish Stab wasn't charging money to view the documentary. That should be free to all in hopes of saving many that have tbi but haven't been diagnosed properly.
❤ You have put your pain into words. Pain I have experienced as well and was able to put into words to I couldn’t. You are so strong. Keep moving forward.
I just discovered your videos a few weeks ago and you make me laugh so much and i don’t know you personally but I’m so glad you’ve overcome all of this.
You're the man Sterlz. Happy you did this video. It's evident in your emotions it was difficult; but it was necessary for lots of people to hear you story. I had a concussion from skating that after one week seemed like everything was ok. Couple years later, I start having gnarly seizures. Had to go through doctors/medications/time out of the water to finally get my seizures under control. 10 years + seizure free now and not having to wear PFD when I surf. I am glad you have surfing to keep you motivated, and that you are taking us on your journey. Keep us all laughing and stay STOKED. Sending love from one side of the Gulf to the other.
What a touching story of strength and pure being in touch with yourself!! It is sad no one helps ppl I see ppl on the street talking to themselves and ppl do avoid them and it’s just bc they need help sad world we live in ! Also I’ve had quite a few head injuries and I don’t feel like myself anymore I’m quick to anger my limbs stay numb and ur right about healing properly but I have no insurance and unfortunately have to keep food on the table so I’ve never recovered properly and I’m in a rut I mask my issues with alcohol that I know dosnt help it actually makes it worse but what do u do when ur anxiety is so high u think about killing yourself every 5 min just figuring I’d say something bc no one helps me either and I think it’s sad bc there are many that need help worse then me especially our soldiers sad they can’t even get help and kill themselves daily idk ur right we need to form a outspoken community but I’m guilty for not helping bc I’m socially awkward and full of anxiety it’s sad bc I wasn’t that way before I know something is wrong but I have to push thru this misery of the 9 to 5 pay ur bills and taxes bc I can’t bail on ppl that depend on me so it’s a hard situation!! Thank u Sterling that was amazing I pray for ur complete recovery
Thanks for sharing these man. It’s amazing hearing your stories and learning about life from it. While laughing a lot too. I think you’re right about helping others to feel happy. Keep healing man
A good friend of mine, got a TBI and she's only 18 but docs after only a week are saying she's not going to get her short term memory back... ur video gives us hope and if i hadn't seen this we wouldn't be fighting for her as hard. Ty bruddah 🤙🏼
Sterling, I love your podcast, but this one hit different, brain injuries, mental health is paramount, appreciate your sharing your experience, nobody talks about head trauma
Thanks for sharing your story. It helps me, I have a story, not exactly like yours but got on meds to help my "mental disorder". So much fear of people, grief from the deaths of loved ones and loneliness in my life. By the grace of the Holy Spirit Im healed and healing. You are definitely here to help others. Stoked for the channel.
Thank you for this and for the documentary. So many people lack perspective on the severity or impact of TBI's. You are doing such amazing work to educate and normalize the condition so more folks dont have to just suffer in silence.
