Can head injuries cause mental illness?

reply to post by MischeviousElf


This is some amazing information! I knew about neuroplasticity, but only envisioned the possibility of it occuring to this degree. Here is the actual evidence that nearly anything is possible as far as the brain's ability to adapt. Wow! I'm sending this link to my friend who is studying neuroscience. I think she will find this infomation interesting.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by unityemissions]

Originally posted by Bachelor
I have a sister that was in a bad car crash 20 years ago and received a closed head injury; It affected her walking and things for awhile... physical reabilitation and such.

Recently she's been getting some help in the area from a new organization that specializes in head injuries and getting help for those that have them (rides, help finding doctors, etc). The lady in charge of the program feels that my sister's behavioral problems and personality quirks are a direct result of the head injury. I personally disagree with this, for two reasons.

1- I've known my sister her whole life (obviously) and she's always pretty much been the same person... nothing's really been all that different in the past 20 years.
2- I have all of the same quirks and issues as my sister has, only to a milder extent... and I've never had a head injury.

I'd like some other opinions on this. Can head injuries cause mental illness and personality disorders? Bipolar for instance, mood swings, angry outbursts followed by a calmed down frame of mind not too long after. Erratic sleeping, etc. basic mental stuff. I think it's all psychological myself and not related to any physical trauma of the brain.

Thoughts?

To answer your question yes.

I work at a mental hospital and we get people straight from surgery at times who had a head injury and are now not the same.

BiPolar I might debate that but agitation and hostility usually come from the individual trying to do something but because of the brain injuries can not, they then become angry and when you try and help them can become violent because they want to do it on their own. Sometimes they lack the ability to completely understand what you are saying and will believe you are making a personal attack against them and violance erupts out.

Worst case I seen was a person who believed they were at work on their ranch and all you could do was follow them around and make sure they stay safe. If you try to explain to them they are in a hospital they become angry because you are lieing and can get physically aggresive.

However if your sister acted that way before then she is probly fine normally it's the family members saying "he/she use to be so kind and I don't understand it now"

Unless she's hallucinating or having anger outbursts for no reason at all then I wouldn't worry about the head trama being a problem right now.

My daughters friend was hit broadside the day before his high school graduation,the Honda he was driving was hit by a large station wagon knocked him into bushes took a while to find him,after a year in the hospital he doesn't even seem like the same person,once a young witty kid,now his speech is labored,result of head injuries

Originally posted by unityemissions
reply to post by MischeviousElf

 

This is some amazing information! I knew about neuroplasticity, but only envisioned the possibility of it occuring to this degree. Here is the actual evidence that nearly anything is possible as far as the brain's ability to adapt. Wow! I'm sending this link to my friend who is studying neuroscience. I think she will find this infomation interesting.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by unityemissions]

Pleasure,
As the poster below yourself I also worked in mental health, and yes some people do not recover but it is is not All Emcompassing,

I suppose if you work in such an environment you would only see the the actual cases where this has happened, however many people loose loved ones, loose a business and manage to adapt to these traumatic and stressfull events.

Some however do "Loose the Plot" and have reactive depression, or it triggers of things such as schizophrenia etc, and kill their whole family wife kids and all. I am all sure we have seen such cases in the press. Should therefore we say all Widows or failed business people will turn out like this?

No, and thats the thrust of my argument, that Labelling and put a definate result on such events, no matter how traumatic are not the same in each case. Some though gain strength and wisdom and go on to become very successful and happy afterwards.

The same as some people have fallen from planes at 30,000 feet and not died, the same as in my post some are fine with hardly any Brain present.

We really should as in my case with my Extreme Leg injury when younger when I was told "You wont walk Again" not take this as normal, I have gone on to do Mountain Walking The Princes Trust award for outdoor Pursuits and such like, do Tai chi every day and can hold a full Lotus position for many hours :-)

We have to be soo careful of this labelling, this in itself can stop any full recovery, as my experience of Mental Health and care work taught me very much that in-fact the emotional and social responses and expectations are as important as any Physical/mechanical issue.

I hope your friend and others are more open minded after seeing these amazing facts and individuals, and I only hope the OP showed the information to his sister too, to give her a feeling that it can be differant.

Until recently the best "Brain Surgeons" were saying that you are born with a certain amount of Nuerons and that the brain cannot regrow or heal, this has recently been proven to be totally wrong too.

An injury is just that an injury, mot a disease or virus etc.

Injuries sometimes heal totally , sometimes not.

As another example a famous member of the POP Group Spandau Ballet (maybe a bit old for many readers!) had a Cranioplast or "Head Job" and had a large operation with a large metal plate fitted to his skull, he went on in later life to become one of the lead actors in a very successful soap in the UK "Eastenders"

There is much evidence too of "Trepanning" or drilling holes in the skull in Stone age man times, to reduce pressure. and certainly Ancient Egypt etc and the individuals had the holes plugged with antler bone etc, and seemed to go on and live a long time afterwards. Even in those times with no antiseptics or clean operating theatres, CT scans etc. the thought of no Anaesthetic in such a procedure though leaves me a bit in awe of their mental strength, and bravery.

Never label until you know for sure. And the Brain can fully recover in certain times after 3 yrs.

Also with mental Health, my God Winston Churchill used to drink a bottle of Champagne every morning with breakfast, had Manic depression which he referred to has his "Black Dog" or "Black dog Days" and was very much like members of ATS, he would of been called a Conspiarcy Theorist he warned and beat the drum about Germany and Russia years before anyone else, whilst all else ridiculed him.

If it wasn't for him most of the world would Have been speaking German now and adoring statues of Hitler, and most of us would never have been born as well.

Kind Regards,

Elf

reply to post by Dan Tanna


Ignorance is bliss. Get out of here because you have no empathy or compassion for those who suffer from or related to those who suffer from menal illness which makes me think you are mentally ill and perhaps you should seek professional help. I have some illness as a result of a major head injury and I am still able to have respect and compassion for others.
Being offensive is just plain ignorance and you could benefit from learning about the diagnosis before you attack others. Until you get help, no one in this forum will reply to you again as long as I have any say about it and I will counsil others to ignore you and your rude responses until you learn empathy and compassion.

Runs through sliding glass window
Gets brick thrown on head
Chandelier falls and shatters on head
Rolls head first into stone during game of 'Blind Man's Bluff'
Hit in head with baseball bat
Falls down stairs and hits head on ground *last week*

As a result I have this persistent delusion that my Government lies to me...

Originally posted by Lucid Lunacy
Runs through sliding glass window
Gets brick thrown on head
Chandelier falls and shatters on head
Rolls head first into stone during game of 'Blind Man's Bluff'
Hit in head with baseball bat
Falls down stairs and hits head on ground *last week*

As a result I have this persistent delusion that my Government lies to me...

Personally I feel considering the absolute truth of the last sentence, except for "Persistent Delusion" in the above statement, it shows you had some sense knocked into yourself!

But but said Delusion rather than "Certainty"

Back on topic many people do though find that many small knocks to the head can build up and cause problems in later life, like Parkinsons etc...

So I hope all is well, im ok have a Thick skull from many years of being called potty, or out there especially on the economy.....Or saying the first day I saw him running for president about Bush...

"There's something about his ears and grin/wink, he looks like a real elf or actually a leprechaun"

(who are terrible in mythology put on horses legs at night backwards etc... like Pan (god)

"Need to check him out, I don't trust him at all worse than the usual fake, world war 3 here we come......what with his Dad and all...."

Those same people seem to be very absent from my circle at the Mo or very quiet :-)

So funny post LL :-)

Just to add here back on topic even though my links show people with half their heads missing etc.. and ok cognitively.....

Just a very small bump, with no loss of consciousness can kill someone or lead to real issues very quickly, even if never unconscious etc.

There is a real issue with Subdural and Extradural Haematoma's where blood builds up after a burst vein or artery, basically a big bruise above or on the brain.

The blood builds up, the brain is in a sealed unit as such so the pressure increases putting pressure on the brain and squeezing it without being very technical.

This can happen over hours or days and the person may have no symptoms, and go to sleep and go into a coma or not wake up, or be brain damaged due to lack of oxygen to the brain tissue.

The normal supply of blood to the brain tissue cant get to the brain, as the pressure of the escaped blood from the haematoma is stopping the normal supply from reaching the brain, squeezing the normal capillaries and arteries closed, and the blood pressure from the heart is not strong enough to overcome the pressure pushing down from the escaped blood in a sealed environment against the brain on one side and the solid skull on the other.

So if anyone bumps their head, you or yours, and they are unconscious (knocked out) for more than say 1 minute always get it checked out at the emergency room.

Even if they are not knocked out or if they are for a short time and any of the following happens even if a couple of weeks later, go straight to the local Emergency room, no dithering at all:

Vomiting
Headaches/Migraines
A yellowish fluid (not ear wax though thick or runny fluid) on its own or mixed with blood or just blood from any of the following (if this Yellow fluid is present DIAL 911 immediately and explain!)
Ears,
Eyes,
Nose,
Mouth,
Difficult To wake very very tired all the time,
Confusion in normal personality, seems spaced out,
Strange Behaviour out of the norm,
A Black eye appearing from nowhere,
Sudden sensitivity to light,
Not walking moving as normal ambulatory responses,
Pupils of the eyes not the same size, or not getting smaller to light exposure or both very large like on drugs spaced out look out of norm.

Just go and get an check up in the emergency room ASAP and if very pronounced and ANY yellow fluid as described Dial 911 straight away, even if weeks later than the small bump.

Kind regards

Elf

[edit on 14-11-2008 by MischeviousElf]