Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have a dramatic impact on your life, even if you are able to make a physical recovery. With proper treatment, people can sometimes overcome many or all of the limitations they had immediately after sustaining an injury. The brain can take time to heal, and it’s best to work with medical professionals who can put you in the optimal position for the maximum level of healing.
That being said, some changes could last perpetually. In some ways, it may even feel like a brain injury can change your personality.
Emotional changes
Oftentimes, people will observe that there are emotional changes in someone who has experienced a TBI. Alterations may be apparent to friends, family members, coworkers or even a spouse, even if they aren’t immediately apparent to an injury victim.
For example, issues sometimes reported include:
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Irritability
- General anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed
Someone may have been an outgoing and social person before their injury. After their injury, they may keep to themselves a lot more and become irritable quickly when they have to engage with others. If this has happened to you, it may be those around you who notice that you seem so much different than you were before.
In some cases, these changes can be linked to physical symptoms. For example, sensitivity to light and sound is common after a brain injury. If someone is feeling overly sensitive, then it makes sense that they may feel overwhelmed or anxious if they find themselves in a loud and chaotic social environment. They may have been able to navigate that challenge successfully before, but their heightened sensitivity has changed the way that they engage with the world around them.
Do you deserve compensation?
If you’ve been injured either while working or due to another’s actions or inactions, you may be entitled to pursue compensation via an insurance claim, a workers’ comp claim or even a personal lawsuit. Consider seeking legal guidance to learn more.