Need to talk - Mental Health Message Board

skyman840 · 07-17-2008, 06:49 PM

I have an unusual problem. My name is Mike. I fainted about a year ago. Hit my head really hard on concrete. I was in a coma for six weeks, but came out of it and recovered. Except…something got scrambled in my brain. My reality is that, from my perspective, I’m a woman. I have the body of a woman. I know this isn’t true reality, because 1) it would be impossible, and 2) no one else sees me as a woman. But, ever since I emerged from the coma, essentially, to me, I’m a woman. I’ve been to all kinds of psychiatrists. They’re baffled, and they haven’t been much help. So I’m just trying to live my life as best I can. I know this sounds strange. It's really strange for me, believe me. I'm still not used to it, even almost a year later.

mimgregg · 08-10-2008, 11:34 PM

Hi Mike, I too have a tbi from a fall 3 years ago and an assault last year. While I have not experienced what you are, I understand how the brain can become a totally different beast of its own making after a brain injury. I have learned to relive my life completely different than I used to. I went to work as a teacher, and became somewhat aware of what has happened about 1month later and then a swiss cheese of a year. My personality is altered, but similar. My patience is now spotty, my fears huge, my stamina small, my trust and belief in the "system" is gone. I used to could run circles around my teenage students and take care of a young son and hold 2 other jobs and run a website. The person you are changes is what I am trying to say. Why yours changed to feminine is anybody's guess. Psychotherapy is great for all in my opinion. If the psychiatrist is not finding a cause, then talking about it with someone and looking at how to live your life in different lights can be helpful and often relieving our need to hold it in and not seek out help because of what people might think. I hope you find a great doc, and might suggest to you to talk to your neurologist and see who he or she might think is good to see for whatever area of the brain is causing this. Good luck to you!
Mim Gregg