Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of mood disturbances, including anger and depression. There are two main causes of anger and depression following brain injury.
Our emotions are located in the middle part of our brain, which is very primitive. This part of the brain governs your emotional response. For example, if you are mad at someone, this part of your brain tells you to hit that person.
The part of your brain that helps you plan and control your behavior is located at the front of the brain. This part of the brain works in tandem with the middle part of the brain. So if the middle part of the brain is telling you that the correct emotional response is to hit someone, the front part of the brain tells you all the reasons why you shouldn’t.
If the front part of the brain—the part of the brain that governs behavior—is compromised, raw emotions will be more prevalent.
It’s not uncommon for people with symptoms of mood disturbances to be avoided by family and friends. It’s important that the survivor learn how to control his or her moods.
Survivors with anger issues should learn to recognize when they are being irritated, and should take a 15-minute time-out from the situation in order to allow the emotional system to calm down. Learning to recognize cues of anger is imperative in controlling anger. Survivors with depression should see their doctor, who will most likely suggest counseling, prescription drugs, or a combination of both.