my 33 yr old son fell 26 feet onto a concrete floor 4 yrs ago. he was unconscious for approx. 20 minutes, cut his head open and required many stiches. A ct scan was performed and no damage was noted and he was observed and released from he hospital. since that time he has had trouble with his memory, but more concerning is serious anger and his inability to manage it. it has cost him 2 marriages, with his wives and friends saying he gets so angry that it scares them. his first wife says his personality changes after the tbi were the cause of the breakup. his current wife, who has just filed for divorce, says the same thing. another troubling symptom over the past 2 years is that he he lies all the time or greatly exaggerates events. this makes for serious trust issues and he has lost some friends on account of it. in addition, he had what was described as a 3 hour rant of anger. I am quite certain he has tbi, but he refuses to acknowledge it, and in fact gets very angry when mental health treatment or medication is mentioned. we currently do not know of his whereabouts and worry that he may hurt himself or others. to complicate issues I am currently on assignment half a world away in Malaysia. how can I get through to him that he needs help? I am sure he is in a lot of emotional pain. what to do?
I see that this was your first post on Connect and I'd like to welcome you. I am really sorry to hear of your son's accident and the difficulties he has had since that accident. I can tell that your frustration must be complicated by the fact that you cannot reach him and talk with him. This is a very difficult place for a parent to be in.
You mentioned scans being done after the accident. Were scans or an MRI done later on?
As a suggestion, when you are able to talk to your son again, you might suggest he see a neurologist, rather than a mental health professional. Maybe he would be more open to that. Probably an MRI would be in order as well as some other neurological tests to check out his functioning.
A good neurological consult might turn up a diagnosis of TBI or perhaps post-concussion syndrome.
Here is some information about brain traumas from Mayo Clinic's website, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594. As you read this, perhaps you will see similarities to your son's problems.
I hope that you are able to connect with your son again and that he will open to seeking some neurological help.
Please post again as you are able. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hello, @klexpat – wondering how things are going with your son and his trouble with his memory and serious anger since his fall?