Can a traumatic brain injury impact your personality?

On Behalf of | Oct 14, 2020 | Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury |

As a driver in Georgia, you understand the risks you face on the road. Just one crash can lead to catastrophic injury. The consequences can last the rest of your life, impacting its quality long after the incident.

If you suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you may have an even harder time recovering. TBIs can impact every aspect of your life from your memory to your personality.

Short and long-term impacts of TBIs

Mayo Clinic looked at the impact traumatic brain injuries have on your daily life. Some of the initial and most severe symptoms fade in days or weeks. This includes coma, slurred speech, profound confusion and loss of coordination. You may also experience nausea and vomiting alongside convulsions and seizures. In most cases, these do not last longer than hours or days.

Longer-lasting impacts often involve trouble with memory and personality. This is especially true if your frontal lobe suffers damage. This area of the brain controls your impulse. When damaged, you will struggle to exercise self-control. This makes it harder to keep yourself from acting before thinking. It might lead to rash decision-making that is not aligned with your personality.

How TBIs may overwhelm you

Also connected to the frontal lobe is your ability to control your temper. It is common for TBI sufferers like you to have trouble keeping your anger in check. This is often alarming to loved ones who are not used to seeing you have anger outbursts.

On top of this, TBI damage may reduce your ability to tolerate stressful situations. This leads to distress, breakdowns and tantrums in the face of difficulties that you cannot avoid. This makes it hard for you to function in social situations and even at your job. For this reason and more, you may wish to look into legal options.