A traumatic brain injury can certainly lead to physical changes. Someone who suffers a brain injury in a car accident may have long-term balance issues or mobility problems. It really depends on the portion of the brain that gets injured and how severe that injury is.
But one important thing to remember is that even someone who physically heals may still undergo significant changes. In many cases, these are emotional changes, and family members feel like the injured person’s inherent personality has been permanently altered. A child may feel like they hardly know their parent or a spouse may feel like this isn’t the same person they married.
What are some common symptoms?
These personality changes can take on many forms, but they could include:
- Less emotional control
- Trouble regulating emotions
- Quick frustration or anger
- Inappropriate reactions, such as laughing at the wrong time
- The flat effect, which is when the person can’t express emotions at all
- Increased aggression
- Inflexibility or obsessiveness
Once again, the exact symptoms depend on the type of injury. If the portion of the brain that helps regulate emotion suffers a significant injury, even if the person doesn’t have any other long-term symptoms, they may never regain the emotional control they used to have.
Additionally, some of these personality changes may just happen because of other issues that the person is facing. Maybe the TBI left them with an extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds. They always feel overwhelmed and overstimulated, which makes them more irritable and aggressive.
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, perhaps in a car accident someone else caused, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
