Suffering from a brain injury can cause the victim massive damage physically, mentally and emotionally. Of course, it can even affect someone’s behaviors and seemingly alter their entire personality.
In fact, it is possible that a behavioral change might actually indicate a brain injury when nothing else has pointed to one.
Impulsiveness and aggression
Mayo Clinic discusses traumatic brain injuries in detail. This includes their impact on a victim’s behavioral tendencies and even overall personality. The degree of behavioral changes seen in a victim ties to several different factors, including the health of the victim, the area of brain injury and the severity and complexity of the injury itself.
However, many of these injuries will manifest in similar behavioral red flags. One is a sudden uptick in aggressive or impulsive behavior. This is particularly common in injuries involving the frontal lobe, which holds responsibility for controlling impulses.
Lashing out at loved ones
Victims will often lash out at their loved ones, seeming overly aggressive and ready to pick fights at a moment’s notice for no apparent reason. Their hurtful and thoughtless words can cause rifts in even tight-knit family bonds, as the victim’s loved ones do not know what prompted the change or how to handle it.
Victims may often seem prone to emotional outbursts, as well. This can include an inability to cope with otherwise normal daily stressors of life, leading to temper tantrums, tears, and an emotional shutdown.
Noticing these signs after a victim suffered from a blow to the head should prompt the individual to contact medical aid, as this is likely the sign of a traumatic brain injury that needs professional care.