Losing Empathy After Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur at any time and can have a profound impact on the lives of those affected. While protected by the skull, the human brain is highly susceptible to physical trauma. In some cases, a severe injury can lead to changes in the affected person’s behavior and relationships. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2.8 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury each year and approximately 56,000 people die. The most common causes of TBIs are falls, automobile accidents, and sports-related injuries. Brain trauma can lead to a host of potential issues, including: Mood swings  Anxiety Depression Angry outbursts and increased irritability Decreased empathy The last item — a decrease in empathy — is one of the most difficult issues to understand for the friends and family members of the affected person. Fortunately, there are things that can be done to regain empathy. What Is Empathy? The Medical Dictionary defines empathy as: Intellectual and emotional awareness and understanding of another person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Empathy may sometimes be confused with sympathy. Where empathy is the understanding of emotions, sympathy is the sharing of another person’s emotions and experiences. Most researchers agree there are three kinds of empathy: Cognitive empathy: knowing how another person feels which is linked to recognition of facial expressions. Emotional empathy: experiencing a similar emotion to anot...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Brain and Behavior Memory and Perception Alexithymia Empathy Traumatic Brain Injury Source Type: blogs