Brain Injury or Psychiatric illness? how do you find out?

Yes, one can behave very inappropriately at any given time & maybe he had an injury when he was a kid????? A scan would show proof of previous head injuries/trauma to the brain.

Damn Red, so glad to hear from you.

April

hi April - glad to hear from you too! i'm still around, but there are no scans that we've been able to find, that show any damages. he recalls at least 10 injuries where he's hit his head, some even when he was out cold, but nothing with proof. so now i'm really wondering, and i don't know why it makes a difference! is it all psychiatric?

I dont have a clue Red, I only know by experience & some things I've seen on Discovery channel on "Head injuries". VH1 did a rehab series on addicts & the addicts had a ct scan (I think it was called) that showed how damaged the brain was from using, alcohol, drugs, steroids & head injuries, etc.....They used a normal brain (for example) vs an injuried brain & showed alot of dark spots where damage occured, even a slight bump on the head can cause a great deal of problems.......damn we all must have issues huh.......

In my husbands case I was never really sure if it was the disorders or the head injuries that caused alot of short term memory loss along with the bizarre behavior.

Am not sure its relevant one way or the other but a person with these problems would have to manage themselves for life.

I had a craniotomy and was in a coma for 2 months and lived. Though I lost approximately 120lbs within those two months most of it muscle. I had to learn how to walk and rebuild muscle just to lift my legs. Short term memory is shot but long term good. I have excessive mood swings and Im confused trying to determine if its depression cause I also have been fighting leukemia. Any thoughts on that

dear red, my husband has TBI and depression, he has all those, well most of those symptoms and it did make a difference in his diagnosis because of funding for his care. it was a shame how they diagnosed him but in the end it doesn't make any difference in the family life situation. we need to be supportive of him while setting boundaries and holding him responsibile whenever possible. i statements are the key according to NAMI traning we received, i don't like it when you "do thus and thus or say thus and thus" of course lack of memory is another problem. it turned out my husband had mennigitis as a baby and that caused brain damage and also TBI as an adult and is also depressed. he cannot control or screen his comments or some actions of his that can be out of place. he acts like a fool sometimes and it is embarrassing and uncomfortable. it is also wrong at times and i hate it. i just have to keep working with him. i also have a skitsophrenic son and another son suffering from same but is highly functional. love you all, from a prayer warrior i wish you well and keep all the beloved suffering from mental trials in my prayers.

This is my first post to this support group so please forgive me if I sound out of place.

Red, this is a very good question, one that I myself have been trying to figure out. I suffered a tbi at work earlier this year, and have had a stroke and numerous seizures since. Even more troubling is the psycological issues that have peeped up as well. I have never been a violent person before, but since the accident I get pissed off too easily. I yell, argue, pick fights, get physically violent, break things, throw tings, etc at the drop of a pin. Previously, it would take everything to get me riled up...if you pissed me off then you must have done something bad. But now it is way too easy. My fiancee is a saint for dealing with me, God, I love her.

Well, this is not anger management, so I'll stop there on that subject. But it troubles me not knowing how much of this is to blame on the accident and not a genetic predeposition to mental illness. I've never had previous mental issues, but now I can say I've spent time in a mental hospital. This crap is fustrating!

dear beloved suffering from head injuries. i forgot to add that although i never ever saw my husband violent in all honesty it turns out that he had a far past history of acting out physically and i knew him to be depressed. the doctor said about his depression that this head injury treatment was a window of opportunity. so we looked at it like that and decided to stay in the present moment and take the opportunity life was handing us for trearment. where none had been had before now treatment and therapy were now an option and even though my husband still suffers from the long term effects of the head injury which are frustration for us both overall with medication and therapy we have a positive and progressive life and for the most part the negative aspects of TBI and mental illness are offset by a quiet life and regular routine coupled with a lot of love and deep respect for one another. all my love to you all, maria praying for you

Well due to my concussion then brain surgery cause of brain bleed. I am now depressed and lately so freaken emotional. I cry almost everyday for anything. Its hard for me to be happy. I drown myself on the internet to keep my mind occupied. Yesterday in a long time I actually spent time with my kids. seeing them happy cause they had pure fun with Dad is what triggered me crying. I was released from MdAnderson since August of last year after being hospitalized for 6 months. It was a
great day for them which in turn made me cry but happy tears. I am now going in the right direction. Im calm, happy and more patient with others and myself. But yeah due to injury it does cause alot of mood swings. My neurologist says Im fine and recommends me to get psychiatric help. Thats exactly what I'll do as of January seeing all clinics are closed until after the new Year.

Love happy tears Ysabeltorres & glad your staying with us here to get as much support as you can GOOD FOR YOU.

Thanks April I believe people like myself get better by posting what we feel here cause we want others to know whats going on with us and we need someone as well to respond to it. To be there when we truly need them. Thanks again April :)