How can a mild brain injury affect my personality?
If you recently suffered a blow to the head, you may have a brain injury without knowing it. Brain injuries affect each victim differently, often leading many to suffer without ever receiving a proper medical diagnosis or treatment.
Mild injuries are very dangerous
Mild concussions are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and can cause a variety of symptoms. You may not experience the same effects that another victim with a similar injury does.
Physical symptoms may include nausea, prolonged headaches or even seizures. These serious side effects are visible indications of a TBI. However, some of the most destructive symptoms of TBIs are buried in our brains.
Mild TBIs and personality changes
Because your consciousness and personality are based in your brain, even a mild bonk on the head can significantly affect your behavior and personality.
While not every injury victim experiences personality changes, they can be very frustrating for victims and their families. You may have a mild TBI if:
- You suddenly get very angry after a small provocation.
- You cannot concentrate on a task for very long.
- You can’t find the words to say what you want to say.
- You sometimes lose the ability to understand entire sentences you read or hear.
Mild TBIs often “scramble” the brain just enough to cause victims to misunderstand context, even if they understand the individual meanings of words they read or hear.
To the people around you, it may seem as though you are moody and irritable. This can be quite a difficult for you, your family and those you work with.
Get the help you need
If you are experiencing some disturbing lapses in understanding, focus or the ability to keep a cool head, talk to your doctor about the changes you’ve seen. You may be suffering from a mild brain injury that you didn’t know about.