Emotional, Behavioral, and Personality Changes Caused by Brain Injury

A wide range of emotional changes may surface after a severe brain injury. Among those you might see:  

Difficulty in controlling emotions

Exaggeration of positive and/or negative personality traits

Denial of impairments and impulsive behavior

Anger, fear, and frustration leading to loss of temper and combativeness (eagerness to fight)

Irritability and verbal inappropriateness 

Depression

Denial and Depression

Depression that appears early in the recovery period is often a direct result of changes within the brain. For some patients, though, depression comes much later in the recovery period.

Often the extent to which a person has changed as a result of a mild brain injury only becomes obvious much later in the recovery process – after returning home, going to work or school, or resuming former social activities. The transition can be difficult and lengthy.