How to deal with not talking in emergency situations

[vergil96]

So basically, my verbal skills become extremely bad when something physical happens to me. I'm an intellignet person with a univeristy degree and don't seem otherwise. Some people think I'm rude on purpose, because I look very distressed which gets read as angry and I either say something very simplistic or rant when something happens to me. Any idea how to deal with the situation?

 

[tree]

What sort of physical things do you mean?

Things like you've stubbed your toe, or narrowly missed being hit
by a car, or a stranger bumps into you? Or what?

What sort of things happening reduce your verbal skills?

 

[vergil96]

What sort of physical things do you mean?

Things like you've stubbed your toe, or narrowly missed being hit
by a car, or a stranger bumps into you? Or what?

Like injury during a sports training, hypoglycemia, food poisoning.

 

[tree]

Any of those sound like situations wherein it would be very
natural to be at a loss for calm/studied/eloquent verbal expression.

Spoiler

After having a seizure due to low blood sugar, and
having a ride in an ambulance to the ER, I could respond to
the doctor's questions in a minimal way, but there was not
a chance I could elaborate on any particular thoughts.

 

[Judge]

I wouldn't expect most persons' verbal skills to be working optimally at moments of extreme stress.

Yet I have always been shocked by an experience I had around 5:05pm on October 17, 1989. When I was just exiting a BART car on an elevated platform in the SF Bay Area to suddenly experience a massive earthquake.

One so powerful it knocked me and everyone else to the cement floor of the platform. And seeing and hearing the awnings overhead twist like pretzels. Lasted only for 15 seconds, but in real-time it seemed like an eternity.

What was so striking was to notice both the shock and silence of everyone around me. The escalators were still working and we all lined up and went down to the ground floor without anyone saying one word. Not even a whimper. Nothing at all. And to date I never witnessed such a thing again.

 

[Rodafina]

I know some people on the forum who have a card that they keep in their wallet to give out in emergency situations. There are official ones ir you can certainly make your own and it is just a brief description that you may not be able to speak, but that you can hear and understand or something like that.

It looks like a business card, and it stays in the wallet along with identification and other important things.

 

[vergil96]

I mean, to me it's also reasonable that I'm not able to communicate clearly. But other people attack me and quarrel with me about the fact that I'm hurt. There might be something I'm missing. What it looks like from the inside: I don't want to attack anybody, I don't have any intentions, it's "just" a meltdown. However, not everyone gets that. I just want to leave the situation, rest, get what I need to get better. That's all. There might be something that makes it difficult for others to understand. Maybe they think I overreact. Maybe there is something in my overall expression that comes across the wrong way, but I'm not able to act differrntly, my mind is squeezed. I can't move in a way that is not abrupt. I think I stop sensing whether I'm being rude or not.

 

[vergil96]

I know some people on the forum who have a card that they keep in their wallet to give out in emergency situations. There are official ones ir you can certainly make your own and it is just a brief description that you may not be able to speak, but that you can hear and understand or something like that.

It looks like a business card, and it stays in the wallet along with identification and other important things.

Do you know where to find a template what to write?

Tbh I have had episodes when I wasn't really able to speak due to fatigue and that's worrisome. I wonder whether to bother with making a card or just use a mobile phone note to write and show someone or a piece of paper + pen if not available.

 

[MC1Rcat]

I have cognitive problems sometimes because of severe dizziness, migraine or lack of oxygen to brain from dysautonomia/ faint & fall risk. I have a hard time finding words and speaking in full sentences when I am really triggered and this can be worse when I am injured or feeling really unwell. I often forget important things and am misinterpreted, which is really frustrating and makes me seem like I am arguing w medical personnel after they have quickly decided what is going on and I am trying to correct their impression. This is what I do to avoid that and it seems to help me communicate a bit better... although it is not always good enough w/ some people, especially if they don't ask me enough yes/ no questions that I can nod to answer:

-wear a medical ID bracelet (also put on there to "see phone/ wallet for meds & allergies"
-I have in the ICE section of my phone all relevant info. I also have a card in my wallet. I keep my phone with only a screen swipe type lock so that EMT can access it

Beyond that, for situations where I have something else going on and I need to communicate, I make a bullet list of important things to tell dr & nurses and just hand it to them. This works well if they ask more questions regarding what I have written....but sometimes they don't because they try to handle everyone as fast as possible. So be aware of that drawback to writing things down ....maybe it would be good to put please ask me yes/ no (nod or hold fingers up to answer) questions at end of the list.

 

[MC1Rcat]

Do you know where to find a template what to write?

Creating an Emergency Health Information Card

portal.ct.gov

 

[Rodafina]

Do you know where to find a template what to write?

Tbh I have had episodes when I wasn't really able to speak due to fatigue and that's worrisome. I wonder whether to bother with making a card or just use a mobile phone note to write and show someone or a piece of paper + pen if not available.

Here’s one example from a useful website. But another one that I saw was just a business card that said: “I am autistic and sometimes unable to speak but I can hear you and understand you.”

Something on your phone sounds like a good idea, too.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I wouldn't expect most persons' verbal skills to be working optimally at moments of extreme stress.

Yet I have always been shocked by an experience I had around 5:05pm on October 17, 1989. When I was just exiting a BART car on an elevated platform in the SF Bay Area to suddenly experience a massive earthquake.

One so powerful it knocked me and everyone else to the cement floor of the platform. And seeing and hearing the awnings overhead twist like pretzels. Lasted only for 15 seconds, but in real-time it seemed like an eternity.

What was so striking was to notice both the shock and silence of everyone around me. The escalators were still working and we all lined up and went down to the ground floor without anyone saying one word. Not even a whimper. Nothing at all. And to date I never witnessed such a thing again.

I remember that quake, vividly. I was very young.

I was in Southern California at the time. Soon after, we had a surge in seismic activity as well. There was the Northridge quake in Los Angeles, that was felt all over Southern California. Even though the quake was about 100 miles away, our house had a great big crack right down the front. There were massive aftershocks. Some as severe as the quake itself.