Brain injuries can lead to cognitive and emotional changes. In some cases, these may last for the rest of your life. Even after physical injuries from an accident heal, the effects of this brain injury could linger.
One of the most common issues that people experience after suffering from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) is depression. Roughly 50% of people who have TBIs end up developing some form of depression in the next 12 months. If you expand that out to seven years post-injury, this likelihood inflates to roughly 66%.
Anxiety is also a common challenge for TBI victims
Another thing to consider is that anxiety develops in about half of the people who have traumatic brain injuries and also struggle with depression. The two conditions can be intertwined and exist together. This anxiety may be focused directly on the cause of the injury – such as driving in the car – or it may be generalized anxiety.
Depression often involves more than feeling down
Depression doesn’t usually “just” mean feeling sad or down about things (although that is quite enough of a challenge to be getting along with). This medical condition tends to manifest in ways that can be debilitating in a host of ways. It can make it hard to concentrate or sleep. People often feel guilty or worthless. They may lose interest in the activities that they used to love, or they may be so tired and have so little energy that it’s hard to get out of that in the morning. In the worst cases, it can even leave to thoughts of suicide. It’s a very serious medical condition.
What options do you have?
Because TBI-related depression so serious, it could create significant costs for someone who has been injured as a result of another’s negligence or intentional conduct. If you find yourself in this position, make sure that you know about all of the legal options you have in order to seek compensation. Seeking legal guidance can provide this clarity.