Oh boy - mood swings are definitely something I've had experience with since a car accident in Dec 2010. About 3 months afterwards I realized that I had been flying off the handle with little provocation and that it was getting worse. My neuropsychologist advised this is very normal - some have trouble coming back down from the rage they feel, while others (and I'm lucky I'm in this group) seem to recover themselves immediately. She described it as going from being mildly annoyed to enraged in 3 or 4 steps where it would have taken 10 steps pre-mTBI.

I've had a lot of fights with my husband because of it - I've tried to explain it to him and let him know that when he "pokes the bear" the best tactic is to walk away and drop it. It's his nature to not be able to let things go and this, along with my short fuse, makes for a poor combo.

I don't usually get upset over huge things - it tends to be small, stupid things. I particularly get upset when I'm asked the same thing over and over - it makes me doubt myself and just reinforces the issues I'm having and the deficits I feel. I tend to go into "fight or flight" mode because I get so overwhelmed. I just want to get away from what's stressing me.

What I'm learning with the neuropsych is how to handle the "noise" that distracts me and makes me feel overwhemed - this should also help me with the mood swings and short fuse. Hope this helps - while each of our situations is unique, there are many similarities in the symptoms and challenges we're dealing with - you're not alone so come back here when you need someone to empathize.

Best,
Crystal