Going through a head injury can result in a lot of long-lasting trauma. This trauma can impact different areas of a victim’s life, such as behavior, memory, physical health and more.
Stress reactions are another area that TBIs can impact, though it does not often get as much attention as other forms of impact.
Temperament and impulse control
The CDC Injury Center discusses reactions to stress after a TBI. Generally speaking, different factors can impact how a TBI affects a victim, such as the health of the victim, the area of the injury and the severity of it. Many injuries will hold similar effects, though.
Temperament and impulse control are two of the biggest and most often impacted aspects of behavior. Victims often struggle with the ability to monitor their thinking or actions before they react to their environment. They may also find themselves reacting in a much faster way to irritations or annoyances, even if they did not previously bother the individual.
Exacerbated stress reactions
Tied to that, stress reactions also end up exacerbated. First of all, victims sometimes cannot cope with the small, daily stressors that they used to tackle without so much as a second thought. This can include small grievances like running out of coffee in the morning or ending up late to an important meeting.
Due to the issues with impulse control and temperament, victims have a higher likelihood of reacting explosively to these small inconveniences or stressors. They may lash out or even have an emotional breakdown, which is a problem especially in terms of potential employability. It is just one of many reasons why victims should look into rehabilitation and proper healthcare.