It is common for an individual’s personality traits and characteristics to change after a traumatic brain injury occurs. In cases of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries, a recovering patient may exhibit abnormal behavior and emotional imbalance for weeks, months, and sometimes years after the initial injury.
Depending on the severity of the injury, the areas of the brain responsible for emotions, personality characteristics, cognition, or reasoning may be affected. Injury to the neurons in the brain’s emotional and behavioral centers is common – and it is important for friends and family members to understand the behavioral changes a brain injury patient may experience during recovery.
Emotional and Psychological Characteristics of a Recovering Traumatic Brain Injury Patient
A person who survives a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury is likely to exhibit some degree of uncharacteristic emotional instability or abnormal behavioral patterns. Loved ones should understand that this is common for a person with a damaged, healing brain. Often times, the brain-injured person may be totally unaware that he/she is acting any differently. A recovering brain injury patient may exhibit varying levels of emotional self-awareness ranging from being completely withdrawn to being in a mental state where he/she just “doesn’t seem right”. More specifically, changes may also include:
- Personality Changes: A recovering brain injury patient may seem more or less outgoing. He/she may exhibit impulsive vocal outbursts or objections or may become withdrawn and less talkative. The individual may also lose interest favorite activities.
- Temperament/Irritability: Following a brain injury, a patient may seem short-tempered or can become noticeably frustrated by seemingly small things. The individual may seem less tolerant of changes and stressful environments, and may experience vocal outbursts or even become uncharacteristically aggressive. Noticeable frustration and tolerance issues may intensify when the brain-injured person is tired or under stress.
- Anxiety and Depression: Depression or anxiety can result from changes in brain signals and chemical reactions. Suppressed or elevated moods can linger for days or can change abruptly in a matter of hours. Anxiety can manifest as general restlessness or panic attacks. A patient’s own frustration in self-recognition of the symptoms can also cause feelings of further despair and psychological distress.
- Trouble with Social Cues: A TBI patient may lose the ability to detect non-verbal cues such as gestures or facial expressions or may lost the ability to control their own. A person’s “filters” may be affected causing them to say inappropriate or awkward things. The person may need to be told by another person when their behavior or language is inappropriate.
Within the time frame of 6 months and two years after a brain injury, the patient’s recovery progress can slow down or become intermittent. Two steps forward may be met with one step back. Sleeping patterns may also be disrupted or inconsistent over time. A patient can even overreact to random stimulation or could become uncharacteristically aggressive.
This time period can be disturbing for family members because the person behaves so unlike themselves, but it is important to remember that this is a normal part of the brain’s healing process and it will take time for the brain-injured person to settle back into a consistent state. Patients and family members should persevere through any discouraging times, as they are often only temporary and long-term gains can still be realized over time.
References:
Missouri DOH Brain Injury Guide
