Hello all. I'm new here. Not sure where to post this, but it seems relevant enough.
Let me start with what I believe was my first concussion. A couple years ago I was working out with one of those rubber tubes with handles at the ends. I would attach a caribeaner to the center and,say, a chain link fence.
Well, all I had was a gate. Long story short, the caribeaner slipped off the gate as I outstretched my arms and hit me square in the back of the head. My ear rang and I saw silver streaks in my vision but that was about all.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago, a coworker jokingly tried to slam a door on my arm... Only he hit my head. I didn't experience any symptoms (that I know of), but ever since then I've been experiencing crippling anxiety of whether it was a concussion. Reading articles about permanent damage from only one or two hits was enough to scare me big time, especially since I'm about to start college. I do score very poorly on online memory tests, but I don't know if it was caused by that door hit or if I've always been that way. Mostly I'm afraid of living a normal life.

What do you guys think? Am I paranoid? Could I really have a concussion without any symptoms?
Thanks in advance

DiverDown,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

It sounds like you are just having struggles with anxiety. You would have experienced concussion symptoms if you suffered a concussion.

The online memory test is not of much use as a diagnostic. If you spent some time practicing that test, you would likely bring your score up.

Which test did you use ?

I think you should consider seeking professional counsel regarding your anxiety issues. Starting college is not a good time to be experiencing anxiety issues. Your stress load is only going to increase. Learning some techniques to reduce your anxiety will be a big help.

My best to you.

Thanks for the response, Mark.
I actually used two tests. One was a website called "human benchmark". It compares your results with peers.
The other (and probably more accurate) test I took was actually an app called "fit brains"; this one told me my short term memory is better than a whopping 16% of my peers.

If you were able to get accepted into college, your brain is working fine.

I've played with Fit Brains. I'm not impressed. Human benchmark is similar. There are plenty of variables that can influence your scores.

If you did not have access to this online information about concussions and memory skills, you would not have this anxiety. There needs to be a new term, cyber anxiety. That would be the anxiety from being able to find too much information that can be taken out of context. With smart phones and laptops enabling us to look up everything, it is easy to find a scary explanation for just about any event. Just think, nobody posts about the many thousands of times where that same event did not end up a catastrophe.

For example "Reading articles about permanent damage from only one or two hits was enough to scare me big time, especially since I'm about to start college." Yes, a very small number of people do experience permanent brain damage for just one or two concussions. But, research suggests there are a few million concussions reported to a doctor each year. There are likely many times that many never reported. The concussions with lasting damage are using suffered in violent car wrecks.

You have a greater risk riding in a car or crossing the street or worse yet, climbing a ladder. If you want to have a safe college experience, stay away from alcohol. The college years are made dangerous by alcohol.

I'd suggest you look at health risk statistics to put this in perspective but then you would be afraid to leave the house. I've done research into health and death statistics. Getting a concussion with lasting symptoms does not even make the list.

So, go on and live your life. Life is too short to live it in anxiety.

I love these posts Mark - they are very helpful and informative. Keep them coming.

Cyber Anxiety is a very real thing. It's just too tempting to search online when you're stuck inside for hours on end. Almost every time without fail it makes the situation worse, without any constructive gains from looking.

Thanks again.
To be clear, I was accepted to college long before this whole mess