Brain Injuries and Personality Changes

Personality changes often show as an extreme exaggeration of a brain injury survivor's pre-injury personality. Or it can result in them appearing to be totally opposite from the person they used to be. The reasons for this can be varied.

Memory impairment can have a large bearing on these changes. Short term memory is almost always affected but some long term memories can also be lost. Those with brain injuries may become angry or aggressive, possibly saying hurtful things that later they will have forgotten all about. As a result apologies may never happen. Conflict resolution will be difficult, if not impossible, when someone has short term memory losses and denies that they have been aggressive or said angry or mean things. Memory impairment is one of the big issues in personality changes because it affects almost everything we do and think.

Another change may be impaired impulse control, lack of judgment or an inability to self-monitor their behaviour. And from this may come denial that they have behaved inappropriately. Some may even deny that they have had a brain injury and instead will insist that the problem is the other person's, refusing to take any responsibility for their own actions.

Other changes in a brain injury survivor may be the inability to problem solve, withdrawal, lack of interest in anything they previously enjoyed, and lack of motivation. This will often result in feelings of isolation for them as fewer and fewer friends keep in touch.

Because of the changes that many suffering from a brain injury have, and ones they they don't understand because they still feel they are the same person, depression often follows. Depression exaggerates the feelings of isolation and can cause all the other changes to increase also, i.e.: anger and aggression may be more of an issue making conflict resolution even more difficult. It will be important for their caregiver to be aware of this and seek medical help for them.

Often those who have had brain injuries have substance abuse issues as well. Because they lack motivation, their interests may be few or non-existent and because their friends may have moved on, they possibly will begin to rely on alcohol or other forms of substance abuse to alleviate their boredom. They may try to hide this from their caregivers and may even lie about their use of it.

All of these changes will be difficult for their caregiver/family member. They are no longer the same person they once were. It will be important for their caregiver to encourage them to be more motivated, perhaps join a group, get new interests and get professional intervention when needed. However, in many cases those with the injury will resist any effort to change and will remain steadfast in their determination to do things their way, or do nothing at all. They will become entrenched in what they wish to do.

If a brain injury survivor remains stubborn and refuses to accept help from professionals or otherwise, the caregiver/family member may find it necessary, and important, to join a support group of their own in order to help themselves through this difficult situation.