decompensating mental health
I have had a few episodes of severe depression in the past few years, but they were only a few short episodes. The biggest challenge for me, however, is that the majority of my depression was caused by a lack of self-awareness. I simply had no idea how bad the depression was, how I didn’t have a way to feel better, or that I was even depressed at all.
There is a term for this type of depression called “decompensating depression,” which is when a person has a breakdown of the brain, and they suddenly remember how bad things really are. There are also other types of depression called “post-traumatic” depression where the person has experienced things that are life-changing, and they suddenly wake up with a new outlook on life.
In addition to the classic symptoms (like sadness and suicidal ideation) the other main symptoms of post-traumatic depression are the inability to get out of bed, the feeling of being trapped, the feeling of not being able to function, the feeling that everything is getting worse, and the feeling that things are hopeless.
These symptoms are due to the person’s memory of a severe traumatic event that is still causing them problems. For example, if the person had a severe brain injury they may have memory deficits associated with that event, but that’s not the only thing that causes them to feel trapped. The person may not be able to access the external world, or they may not be able to think clearly.
Many times in life, we are not aware of the traumatic event that started the problem. In this case, the person may not even know they are suffering from a brain injury, and they may not even know they are suffering from a memory deficit. That’s because in brain injuries, the areas of the brain that are used most are the ones that are not involved in memory. They are often called the ‘default network’.
Decompensating mental health (DMH) is a type of brain injury with the same symptoms as memory deficits. It is caused by a direct impact to the brain. Though the physical impact is more common, the emotional impact is also quite common.
I had a friend who was in a car accident and suffered from a brain injury. Even though he was injured, even though it was hard to put into words, he was able to tell me that the only thing he ever felt was “something inside”. I was thinking that was the same feeling I had after I got hit on the head. My brain injury was the only thing I ever felt.
The emotional impact is probably the most common, though it doesn’t require a physical injury. A brain injury can leave the brain unable to feel pain. That’s why it’s so difficult for a person who’s been brain-injured to get over it. The same is true for a lot of people suffering from dementia.
I can see why some people feel that the emotional impact of a brain injury and dementia is the only thing that matters. If it makes you feel better, maybe. But the emotional impact of a brain injury and dementia are two completely separate things. They are not the same thing.
The emotional impact of a brain injury and dementia is the same thing. It’s the cognitive impact that is different. Many people are in denial of the cognitive impact of brain injuries and dementia. I’m not saying that people should ignore the cognitive impact of brain injuries and dementia, but they should be aware that the cognitive impact is not the same as the emotional impact.