When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it’s hard to predict how it will affect them. It’s not uncommon to suffer physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, vision and hearing problems and even some memory loss.
A TBI can also cause behavioral and emotional changes. Often, this happens when someone has a history of mental health issues. These issues may worsen or new ones may develop. However, a TBI can also cause mental health issues for people who have never had them before. That’s because the injury disrupts how the brain works.
Symptoms of emotional changes after a TBI
As anyone who has ever suffered a TBI or has a loved one who has knows, they can be every bit as debilitating as physical symptoms. Sometimes, they resolve on their own. In other cases, therapy and other treatment are necessary. These symptoms can include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Apathy
- Anger
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
A person who has suffered a TBI may experience “dysregulation” of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls our “fight or flight” response. They may have outsize reactions to minor frustrations and events. This is part of what causes greater anxiety and PTSD. Sometimes, people simply describe these symptoms and others when they see them in loved ones as “personality changes.”
These changes can affect a person’s ability to work and just go about their daily life. As noted, they may require mental health treatment. This can be every bit as necessary as treatment for the physical symptoms. The cost for that can and should be covered in any claim for compensation by the person or party responsible for the injury. Having experienced legal guidance can help you get full and fair compensation for economic as well as non-economic damages.