Emotional Changes of Brain Injury by Special Tree Neuro Ctr.

Common emotional and behavioral changes following brain injury. Which apply to your Brain injury?

1. Depression - Physical symptoms of depression include loss of appetite, sleep disturbance & lack of energy. Mental symptoms include loss of interest in usual activities, slow thinking, difficulty getting started or concentrating on doing things. Emotional symptoms include sad feelings & feelings of worthlessness and helplessness.

2. Disinhibition - Injury to the brain can cause difficulty in controlling emotions. An individual with a brain injury may become disinhibited & cry or laugh at inappropriate times & have difficulty in stopping crying or laughter. Impulsiveness may also be observed in verbalizing or acting out without thinking of the consequences or how it may affect others. Anger - Frustration may cause anger which may seems in appropriate to the situation. The damage to the brain can also cause anger to be excessive.

3. Anxiety and Agitation - The person with a brain injury may feel irritable, restless & nervous. The feelings may become overwhelming & cause the person to "shut down" when they cannot come up with an appropriate way to handle the situation. Blunted Affect - A "blunted affect" means that the brain-injured person may lose the ability to show emotions. They may appear cold & insensitive & unable to recognize what someone else may be feeling.

4. Social Skills - The person with a brain injury may become more self-centered in their feelings and behavior. They may appear more childlike & less socially appropriate. This can drastically affect relationships with others. In addition, poor judgment may be evident in choices regarding sexual conduct, drugs, & alcohol.

5. Decreased Self-Awareness - A person with a brain injury has difficulty in recognizing his or her own deficits & their impact. In combination with decreases in judgment, poor self-awareness can result in a brain injured individual becoming involved in unsafe situations.

6. Denial -Following a brain injury, some individuals have difficulty admitting their own weaknesses. Denial helps people avoid unpleasant thoughts or feelings. ##