Traumatic brain injuries are most often the result of a blow to the head from a traumatic event such as a slip and fall or physical assault. They can also occur if the brain is forced back and forth against the skull because of an explosion, car accident, or assault.
A person’s brain can typically heal from a mild brain or head injury within about six months or so after the injury occurs. However, more severe brain injuries can cause more everlasting effects.
Emotional changes effect can linger for years afterward. In fact, many types of traumatic brain injuries can lead to permanent damage to a person’s mental state, which is why contacting a personal injury attorney is so important.
Some of the most common emotional changes that someone with a traumatic brain injury can experience include:
Sudden Anger and Aggression
One of the most difficult emotional changes that a brain injury can cause is sudden anger and aggressiveness. This symptom most often occurs whenever the injured person becomes frustrated that they can’t function as well as they used to.
Unfortunately, the family members and friends of the affected person often become the brunt of the angry outbursts. And this may cause them to stay away from the person because they don’t know how to help them, especially if they start to become violent during the episodes.
Anxiety and Depression
Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness can make performing day-to-day tasks very difficult for someone with a traumatic brain injury. Because of this, anxiety and depression often set in quickly.
Part of the reason for these symptoms is the physical changes that occur in the brain from the injury. The brain may no longer produce the same amount of important neurochemicals that are needed for mood control, such as dopamine and serotonin.
Mood Swings
The mood swings that set in from a traumatic brain injury are extremely difficult for the affected person and their loved ones to understand or control. One minute, the person will be happy. Then, a few minutes later, they may start crying or screaming. The emotional response that they have to a situation may be abnormal too.
For example, most people would be sad if one of their friends died or became seriously ill, but a person with a traumatic brain injury might start laughing or behaving inappropriately instead.
It’s important to remember that these emotional changes are not the person’s natural responses, but changes in the physical brain combined with the frustration of not being able to function the same as they had before. The symptoms can also vary according to an individual’s age, health, and the amount of damage that they have sustained.
Because of this, it is crucial that the loved ones of a person who receives this type of injury contact a personal injury attorney. Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyer has over 40 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured individuals across Mississippi. Get compassionate counsel in your corner and representation you can trust.
