Behavioral changes (also called personality changes) are common in people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. These changes usually occur soon after the traumatic brain injury and may change over time. The types of changes people experience and their duration depend on where the injury is, its severity, and other factors. People with a serious traumatic brain injury are more likely to have behavioral changes that last for a while.
The good news is that behavioral changes can improve over time. The person who has survived a brain injury may lack empathy. That is, some people with brain injuries have difficulty seeing things through someone else's eyes. The result may be thoughtless or hurtful comments or demanding and unreasonable requests.
This behavior is due to a lack of abstract thinking. People with brain injuries can experience a variety of neuropsychological problems after a traumatic brain injury. Share Headway information with your loved ones to help them understand the effects of brain injury and how to best support you. It's important to remember that brain injuries don't just affect players in the NFL, the NHL, and other professional sports leagues.
After the unexpected death of actor and comedian Bob Saget, it was discovered that he died of head trauma after accidentally hitting his head and then going to sleep. Quality of life, relationships, or sense of identity can be affected by the behavioral effects of brain injury. While many people know that brain injuries can cause physical problems, such as headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and problems with maintaining balance and gait, what often goes unnoticed (except for family members, friends, and even some of the survivors themselves) are the personality changes that occur when the brain suffers brain injury. However, many patients and their loved ones don't realize that brain injuries can also affect emotions and cause perceived personality changes related to mood, thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and actions.
Most people know that brain injuries can cause a variety of symptoms, including physical, sensory, and cognitive problems that can develop at various stages of recovery. Brain injuries, from mild concussions to serious traumatic brain injuries (TBI), can cause a variety of physical symptoms, such as headaches, vision problems, difficulty sleeping, and sensitivity to light and sound. In “The Crash Reel”, one of Pearce's former snowboarding companions is also shown struggling with his own behavior after suffering multiple brain injuries, demonstrating to spectators how people can undergo changes in shape due to physical trauma to the head. Thomas, who specializes in rehabilitation and brain injury medicine, said it's important to remember that no two brain injuries are the same and, therefore, the symptoms of brain injuries can be different in each patient.
The combination of the effects of brain injury and the consequences of a life change can affect your personality.
