Ben,

I don't think they are damaging.

While the symptoms we deal with from such worrisome episodes are certainly real I believe they are a combination of physical and mental onset.

The physical disturbances are more prone to happen the closer you are to your original injury is my guess. If your dumb like me I went out to break up some concrete with a sledge hammer in my yard 6 weeks after I had my skull repaired from looking like a broken eggshell...talk about symptology and I undoubtedly prolonged healing but I don't think it produced any new injuries, fortunately.

Another instance I was walking through a parking lot and saw a truck heading for a speed bump he obviously didn't notice and wasn't going to slow down for, I anticipated the impact and when he hit it I got a terrible instant headache and other symptoms that lasted for a couple days even though nothing physically happened to me. Was I worse off physically from it, impossible but it didn't negate the discomfort, I knew I was dealing with a strictly anxiety related issue.

My rule of thumb for such instances was and still is to remind myself would I have given the incident such as yours or a cabinet door whacking my head a second thought prior to my tbi?

If I know that prior to my accident it would have been no big deal then it is no big deal after my accident and is anxiety related and dealt with simply by reminding myself the body is designed to handle every day bumps and bangs, otherwise the entire world population would be full time concussed.

Take Care,
Bud