Very sad, just bumped head on English lamp
 

Something that I feel is genuinely significant just happened to me, I was at a restaurant with some friends, it was after a long shift and I was extremely tired so my brain was pretty fried. Basically two things happened in quick succession. First, I tripped over a little ledge in the ground and fell forward. Did not fall down or anything but fell forward really quick and hard and had to throw my foot in front of me to catch myself (I almost fell flat on my face). It caused a scene and a waitress asked if I was ok.

Second, I was so spaced out and tired that when I left I almost walked through a plane glass window cause I thought it was an exit. Luckily I realized my gaff a foot before the window but I turned around, took a step forward and bonked my forehead on the side of an English style lamp post, similar to this one

https://secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/...Post+Light.jpg

Would this impact be a cause for concern? As in would it be concussive or sub concussive and should I seek medical assistance or time off school? I didn't hit the pole itself but rather the little light holding polls sticking out on the sides at the top. The impact stopped the momentum of my forward step and basically stuck me in my tracks. I also instantly jolted myself down, I think reflexively.

Hi Ben,

I appreciate these experiences are intensely distressing to you, but I think you might have a extremely heightened sensitivity to and awareness of hitting your head. This is natural and I think this is a common anxiety after a TBI. When you know the difficulties of hitting your head, you want to avoid worsening it or it happening again.

The reassurance you are seeking, however - that the feared consequences won’t occur is instinctive - but can just strengthen a belief that you should never ever hit your head as otherwise all you care about will be lost. This belief is faulty.

The consequences are likely exaggerated as one bump to the head will not change the trajectory of your life, and they happen to people every so often.

What will change your life is being preoccupied with hitting your head. It will just mean staying anxious about it, and focused on damage that you have already experienced. This will change the trajectory of your life, taking up your time and sapping your confidence.

It might be helpful to think about whether the main problem is that you have hit your head or that you worry about hitting your head, and remember that physical problems can be treated.

Recommend you consider familiarising yourself with health anxiety and perhaps seeking professional treatment to understand and challenge unhelpful thought patterns you might have. It might save you a lot of time and allow your to refocus from an obsession to how you want to spend your life.

Thank for the response. Yah you are definitely correct about a lot of points.

I think this incident was definitely a bad setback but my concern is whether or not this caused new damage, new injury. That’s basically the question I was asking and wanting to get opinion on. You see, I’m a student, I have responsibilities at school and work, if this is damaging then I’m guessing I should drop out of school this semester and try and free myself of any responsibilities or life obligations in order to recover. If however this bump was not something which could possibly cause damage then I would continue to live life as if nothing happened and deal with the return of symptoms as best I could until the pass but not stop going to school or working.

Hopefully you can offer some insight on this dilemma.

Hey Ben,

There seem to be two separate questions: one whether you have done damage and the other whether you should continue to be student.

Unfortunately, the answer to the first question is hard to give and I am not medical. Objectively, I wasn’t there and if I was then there is no scan which can show the damage. As such, there is uncertainty about if anything happened and how bad it might be. That’s not easy or preferable, just have to accept it even if don’t like it. Others might, however, be tempted to say based on your description that it doesn’t sound too significant.

The second question is whether to stop your semester. Some might even find the question surprising after a bump to the head, but from your perspective appreciate it seems much more significant. I am not well placed to advise you (and it is only an opinion), but I would say stay at school. I think if you stopped, you will have more time and reason to worry about hits to your head and an additional worry about if and when you can return to school. Trying to do things at school and in life might conversely show you that your brain is working better than your worry might suggest.

It’s a difficult situation you’re in because it is possible to have physical and psychological symptoms, and there is uncertainty about damage. I would see if you can try to focus more on work and school, and less on that your head and see if that helps. Being aware of own perspective, and knowing a different is possible can a good reminder. If want to do things for the brain too like exercise, sleep, good diet etc that can help too. Wishing you the best.