Dream-like episode? Amnesia? Please help
 

I was injured 6 months ago when I fell on my head on a concrete floor, landing on the left side of my forehead. I have problems with severe loss of short-term and immediate memory and mild loss of long-term memory. I also have speech problems, headaches, dizziness and problems with coordination.

My friend (who has changed his whole life around to be my caregiver since the accident) just informed me that I have been having, as he put it, “highly emotionally charged episodes,” that I have absolutely no recollection of. He said the last time was about 3 weeks ago and that it happened 4 times over a three-week period.

He said that it is always about the same thing, that I am essentially accusing him of cheating on me. What I say is almost word-for-word the same each time regardless of what he says, even that sometimes my response has nothing to do with what he immediately said. He said it was like I was stuck in a loop, and not even really responding to my immediate surroundings, although elements of the discussion were a twisted version of things we had talked about many times.

When he told me this, I was totally taken aback. If you asked me before he told me this, I would say that we have never had cross words with each other. We were best friends for a decade before we ever started dating and I couldn’t imagine him ever cheating on me. The whole thing sounds like he was having these discussions with someone else.

What disturbs me most about the whole thing is that I don’t remember any of it. I have no idea if it has happened before or with other people.

I suggested to him that if it ever happens again, on the same thing or a different topic, that he should do something that is totally incongruent with the situation and see how I respond.

I have no idea what this is or what to make of it.

Thank you for reading this and for any ideas of what this might be.

Hi, GillianGillian. I am sorry this is happening to you!

I also hit the left side of my head (all three times actually) and notice that i am more "emotionally charged." I wish that I had some advice for you, but I can only hope that you find some peace in the fact that someone else is going through similar things.

I too, have been good friends with someone, and we had been dating for a while, but my whole take on our situation has changed (since my most recent injury), and I argue with him a lot more, and feel as though I am being cheated in this whole relationship. (not quite the same, but a sudden shift in my feelings about him seems to parallel a bit with your situation)

I, however, remember what has happened each time. I don't know if this has helped you at all since I don't have any words of wisdom. :o But I understand to a degree. Hope there are some answers out there! :hug:

Hi Gillian

What you describe sounds like what my clinical neuropsychologist referred to as confabulations, which are inaccurate memories or perceptions ranging from subtle alternations to bizarre fabrications. I had a number of these as an inpatient, some of which I remember, but they quit a few weeks after my accident while I was in neuro rehab. They can be caused by disruptions in blood flow to areas of the brain affected by the injury. If you are seeing a neurologist or neuro psychologist I'd make them aware of this.

I have had very simular problems. twilight zone stuff stuck in a loop night mare kind of periods. As far as I know more a part of my problem has been that I do remember them but that I was not able to tell what was real or not.

After reading your responses, I have a few more observations:

1. Outside of an episode, I am totally clear on the particular facts involved in my life. I know with absolute certainty that there is no cheating going on. So I haven’t taken something, twisted it and thought it was real for a sustained period of time. It is recurrent and episodic and then my sense of reality goes back to normal.

2. The twisting of the facts has occurred in exactly the same way four different times for periods of about 15 or 20 minutes. My friend told me that even what I said each time was almost verbatim a repetition of the previous episode and that an hour later I didn’t act as if any of it had ever occurred.

3. The episode was highly charged emotionally with me yelling and pointing my finger at him, and I have absolutely no recollection of any of it.

4. To yell at someone and accuse them of cheating is something that is totally out of character for me. I asked if he thought that he was talking to someone else like a split personality, but he said that I knew who I was and who he was and that what I was referencing was actually a very twisted take on things that happened in real life.

4. I am 6-months post-injury and this is the first time I am aware of anything like this ever happening.

Does this still sound like confabulations or could it be something else? I am very concerned and I can use the help of the experiences of others to think through how to raise this with a doctor.

Thanks again

I understand that as well. I have been doing a lot of things out of character myself. I definitely want you to know that I don't think that these episodes are confabulations at all.

I think that the list you made outlining the details in your most recent post would be a good way to start as far as approaching your doctor. I think it makes it very clear to anyone exactly what is going on, and the doc could help from there?

I know its not great advice, but I hope it helps...