If you suffer a traumatic brain injury when you get involved in a workplace accident or car accident, you may see significant recovery in the days and weeks to come. For instance, things like nausea and memory loss are common at the beginning, but you may feel fine after a few days with the proper treatment.
However, some brain injuries do lead to long-term issues, which is why they’re often so difficult to deal with. Some of these issues are never fully going to go away, and that can include personality changes. In some cases, you may see such a shift in your personality that it’s hard for your family members and close friends to even feel like they still know you. This can be a dramatic change in your life and could have all sorts of ramifications, from the loss of the job to the loss of a marriage.
What types of changes are possible?
There are nearly countless examples of potential personality changes since these injuries can vary so much. Many people deal with anxiety, stress, and irritation after a brain injury. They may simply be harder to get along with and the people around them may feel like they aren’t as close as they once were. As you can imagine, this is often problematic for the injured person’s spouse.
In some cases, people end up lacking impulse control. This may lead them to say or do things that they never would have said or done before. Maybe they were always a kind person who got along with everyone, but now they’re not able to hold back their negative comments and they become more combative.
Finally, the memory issues listed above can also be very problematic. If someone has trouble remembering family members or making new memories after the accident, that can be very distressing to them.
How could this impact your life?
The important thing here is to remember that a TBI can impact your life on a lot of different levels. It’s not just about medical bills or lost wages right after the accident. It can change your entire life and your ability to work in your chosen career. Make sure you know about the legal options you may have to seek compensation.