Illinois residents like you who suffered from a head injury may have a long road to recovery ahead of you. Some people recover in weeks or months. For others, effects may last years or even a lifetime.
Fortunately, some of the most drastic changes tend to heal the fastest. But this does not make them any less traumatic to deal with. Potential personality changes fall into this category.
How your brain influences your personality
Mayo Clinic discusses the various impacts a traumatic brain injury can have on you. Some get discussed often, like issues with memory loss and short term memory retention. Others are not as well-known, like alterations to your temperament or personality.
How can a TBI affect your personality? Simply put, different areas of your brain influence your personality in different ways. The frontal lobe is in charge of self-control and restraint, as an example. People with disorders affecting the frontal lobe such as ADHD often struggle to control their impulses. If your frontal lobe gets injured, you may also struggle to control your kneejerk reactions. This can lead to you acting out or saying things uncharacteristic for you, because you cannot keep it to yourself.
Anger management control and TBIs
Temper is another big impacted factor. Many TBI sufferers find themselves with a hair-trigger temper. The slightest thing can set you off and make you angry. You may have less trouble concealing and controlling this anger, leading to you lashing out at loved ones. The same thing may happen with feelings of anxiety. It leaves you feeling overwhelmed in situations you could previously handle fine. These stark changes are hard for both you and your loved ones to adapt to, and make the recovery process that much more important.