Head Trauma Or Dissociation? An Er Jaunt ...

[theshadowoftheliving]

Just spent the afternoon in the ER following an accident. I probably didn't need to go but I freaked out bystanders by being unable to recognize that the blood pouring out of my face belonged to me and they called an ambulance that insisted I go. I was too overwhelmed to say no.

I'm totally fine, banged up and scratched up and have a couple stitches in my face. But, this came up. I don't know if it is just funny or sad or what to think of it.

ER doc did the routine questions with me ... Name, birthdate, where I am, how I got there ... As well as asking me the date and how old I was.

I drew a total blank on the date and on my age. Same sort of blank that happens time to time when I just lose track of when it is or where I am ... But it made them panic. Head CT, watchful observation for a few hours, then not allowing me to leave until a friend was with me. I think they overreacted, but no one was buying my speech that sometimes I just forget those things.

I'm confused as to what might have caused the blankness. When you are dissociative, how do you distinguish between real, physical problems and the kind of forgetting that might happen all the time?

Ugh.

 

[Sideways]

Or just being too stressed out by a situation to know the answers to obvious questions v's am I dissociating right now?

Often I just plain can't tell:(

 

[Justmehere]

Oh how awful! I'm so glad you are Hine and I hope you heal fast!

When I had a concussion, I couldn't remember a thing. It was bizarre. They asked me who the president was, and I had no idea. It makes sense why they the ER did the tests they did, because it can be a sign of serious life threatening problems.

One thing that might help you figure out if it is the head injury or dissociation is to try doing things that are grounding. If it gets better then part of it might be dissociation. If it doesn't get better, then it might be more the head injury.

I'm glad it wasn't a worse accident, but so sorry you have and to go through all of this. Take good care of yourself. :hug:

 

[EveHarrington]

I don't think it was a matter of them not believing you necessarily. Head trauma causes the same sorts of symptoms so the only way they can know you're ok is through testing and observation. If the docs took your word they'd be setting themselves up for negligence lawsuits.

Grounding isn't a hard and fast test for physical vs mental as there are times when I simply cannot ground myself (but I do know it's dissociation). But----if you can ground yourself, I think that's proof that it is mental dissociation and not physical. (With the reverse not necessarily true.)

 

[UnKnown-Self]

I think you should treat yourself as if it is a real physical problem and set the dissociation part aside. You were in a real situation that could have real consequences. Let the doctors do everything they think they should and do everything they tell you to do. Including the follow up if the initial testing comes back negative and everything seems okay but they want you back on such and such a date to make sure. GO

I don't know how old you are but once you get past 50, forgetting is acceptable. I hope if you are much younger, by the time you're 50 you will have conquered.

In the meantime, take care of yourself.

 

[Kailani]

I am glad they are observing you! Sounds like a serious accident and it's better safe than sorry!!! I find grounding helpful and I can tell dissociation now when I couldn't before. It's a weird subtle feeling that since doing EMDR and grounding is much more noticeable. Hope you will be able to tell soon. My head injuries caused forgetfulness but not of that kind of info but everyone is different. More like can't remember what I did yesterday or last week til I really think about it. Also head injuries caused irritability with too much stimulation, certain noises, beeping...can't take in too much new info at once. Dissociation for me is talking to myself more, feeling like I am sitting back and am functioning by observation, kind of split into two, the forward self and the sitting back self. Please take care of you and help your head rest with elevating it and decreasing lights and noise. Hope that helps!!

 

[The ANP]

I was in a car accident last year with a concussion. It was very disturbing because I couldn't tell the difference between the dissociation and the head injury symptoms. It was hard for the doctors to treat me because I was so damn confused about everything I couldn't give them a straight answer. Not to mention it was scary and a serious trigger. Give yourself time to sort it out and recover. It's a bit disturbing to me how much dissociation feels like a brain injury. Also for me, it wasn't an issue of head injury v dissociation: It was dissocating with a head injury (that felt like robo-dissociation) one of the most frightening experiences I have had.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

Thank you all for the kind words. I'm back at home and everything seems fine, so at least there is that.

Or just being too stressed out by a situation to know the answers to obvious questions v's am I dissociating right now?

I totally felt this way. I was almost incapable of making my own decisions, which is why I landed in the ER in the first place.

I think you should treat yourself as if it is a real physical problem and set the dissociation part aside. You were in a real situation that could have real consequences. Let the doctors do everything they think they should and do everything they tell you to do. Including the follow up if the initial testing comes back negative and everything seems okay but they want you back on such and such a date to make sure. GO

This is what ended up happening. I didn't tell anyone that I have PTSD, and I think that my muddled attempts at stating that my memory is usually bad didn't register as mental illness. Probably good to have them overreact than brush things off as psychosomatic, which has definitely happened to me in the past.

More like can't remember what I did yesterday or last week til I really think about it. Also head injuries caused irritability with too much stimulation, certain noises, beeping...can't take in too much new info at once.

I dissociate in all varieties, just to make it even harder to sort out. One of my most problematic dissociative symptoms is not being able to keep a cherent timeline of what I do and when I do it ....

And sometimes, even without the possibility of a head injury, I feel like the world is just so loud and overwhelming. So, that isn't necessarily a way for me to sort things out, either.

It was very disturbing because I couldn't tell the difference between the dissociation and the head injury symptoms. It was hard for the doctors to treat me because I was so damn confused about everything I couldn't give them a straight answer. Not to mention it was scary and a serious trigger. Give yourself time to sort it out and recover. It's a bit disturbing to me how much dissociation feels like a brain injury. Also for me, it wasn't an issue of head injury v dissociation: It was dissocating with a head injury (that felt like robo-dissociation)

I'm starting to wonder if this is at play for me .... I've still got a headache more than 24hours later and my neck is in a lot of pain, plus I feel dizzy and floaty. I'm more of a space cadet than usual. Maybe it is both, just to make things even harder to know how to deal with.

Thinking is hard right now, I hope this makes a little bit of sense.

 

[The ANP]

Sorry you are feeling this way. Give it 7-10 days. You probably had at least a concussion. If symptoms persist after 10 days follow up with neurology and psychiatrist.

 

[ghotiff]

People (normals) forget things under stress, it's just that "normals" wouldn't likely find the your er event as stressful as we would. But, I'm glad they took your injury seriously.

 

[imobius1]

Just spent the afternoon in the ER following an accident. I probably didn't need to go but...

hi. i can relate. i 'forget' the most important things and it is so hard to explain to others. i can see how the stress of seeing yourself that way, and all the fuss of others could cause dissociation. i do split with stress and confusion... i did have a head injury 1999 that caused temporary paralysis on left side. now with the ptsd i have lymes and i feel the same paralysis...i wonder if it is connected somehow.
it's a good thing they got you checked out ok. bleeds in or on the head are so tricky.