Anger Following Brain Injury

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Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

I got my first TBI in 07 as a result of a IED exploding beside my Humvee while in Iraq. I was knocked out for almost an hour and when I woke up I didn't know who I was or where I was. I found out a few days later what had happened and that my skull was cracked I also had a subdural hematoma on the frontal lobe of my brain. Well over the years my anger has gotten crazy then in 2013 I got another concussion when I had a wreck on a motorcycle and I bounced my head on the pavement and laid there in a puddle of blood for about 30 minutes before I woke up. It was 4am out in BFE no one around so I managed to get the bike up and look it over then I had to ride it back home then I went to the ER. Since then my anger has gotten worse and I blow up on my girlfriend and my family for the dumbest shit. I hate myself so much at times I've tried to od on heroin because of it then went to rehab. Things are up and down still and like tonight before finding this site I raised my voice at my girlfriend for telling me she might get a promotion at work. I did it for no reason other than I know she hates her job. I love her more than life itself but I'm going to loose her if I don't stop. I was a happy guy once. I miss that guy and want to be him again so bad.

Thank you everyone who commented! My husband fractured his skull when he was 15. He had fractured it in 11 pieces. We have been together for almost 7 years but he is still struggling worse than ever before. We are experiencing financial pressure and I think it's adding to the rage and anger. Even though I'm super frustrated I am not willing to leave him. I love him more than I dislike his tantrums but your stories are helping me understand what he might be going through. He has never hit me or the children just storms out all the time....won't talk to me sometimes for several days.

I have been a brain injury patient for ten years had long term concussion syndrome and then received a devastating head injury and one more a year later I've been suffering from anger control issues before the Injury when I was angry in the beginning i could not control it it was like being on steroids all of a sudden I have tried to find peace and tranquility through Buddhism the anger eventually progresses to being all the time and I describe it as being the hulk when I get mad it's never pretty I've gotten better at controlling the outbursts but at the cost of my own health i was getting so angry and holding it in I would get sick and throw up get headaches and clench my jaw and muscles till they were sore I've been on mood stabilizers and anti psychotic before and they don't really help I just felt dead inside and dumb has anyone found a way of dealing with or releasing the anger I've tried art boxing weight lifting running gardening singing therapy anger management cognitive behavior therapy nothing has made the anger subside I just wish for an answer to alleviate the anger just for a few hours a day some how any recommendations would be great thanks

3 years ago i was t boned on my drivers side door on the highway. I was making a left hand turn in a turning lane into a residential road with my signal light on. Someone decided to pass 3 cars behind me and failed to see my signal light. He was going 120 km/hr and i was turning at maybe 10 k/hr. I was knocked out unconscious and woke up in the ditch. My vehicle was destroyed. My anger is still here although not as bad as it was. I find myself having anger outburst and holing myself back from violent episodes. I was never an angry person. I don't know what's wrong with me and it seems like doctors don't want to help and no one wants to listen. No one can sympathize. I've lost a sense of myself and my happiness. My partner drinks a lot and has a way of turning everything into my fault so i think I've done something wrong constantly which doesn't help with my stability....im so confused.

I'm on head injury number 4. first I was hit in the head with a small piece of petrified wood when I was 5. When I was 14 I was hit by a car and both my legs were broken on top of a closed head injury from hitting the windshield. Number 3 was a huge metal plaque that fell on my head from a high place. the fourth and final was a scooter accident and I was intoxicated. My head struck the street and I got up and went home and went to sleep. The next day I didn't feel right and I went to the ER to find out that my brain was slightly bleeding from the impact. Ever since getting hit my a car, I have always felt an anger growing inside me. I back talk, smart off, yell, cuss, argue over small stupid things. I get confused easily and frustrated constantly. My Gf is pretty much ready to leave me because I can't control my emotions. I want to help myself, but I can't afford health insurance to go see a proper doctor. I keep reaching out but I don't think people understand what's going through my head. Its like a constant stampede running through and I want it to stop so I can live a normal positive life.

"Can it be helped?" The answer is yes, to some degree. In some studies, taking fish oil 1-2 grams per day reduced irritability by 30% in patients. Cardio exercise reduces irritability. Anger management classes or groups can be very helpful with TBI patients. Also, regular mindful meditation can have a huge impact on anger levels (see UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center for podcasts).

I'm dealing with someone with anger issues after being hit in the head with 2500 volts of electrical power. He can't control his emotions.

My husband had a shunt put in as a baby after meningitis caused scar tissue where the spinal fluid flows. He was left with brain damage in the areas of the brain having to do with spatial abilities. Whenever I'm frustrated with him, he loses it and starts talking about how I don't understand his deficits. He does the same thing when I'm upset about the marriage and his lack of desire to get help.he somehow thinks if I just never got frustrated with him he would be fine. I can be extremely hurt and he will only get angrier. I'm ready for a divorce as he has limited ability to see anything but his deficits. I'm tired of hearing about them. His IQ is otherwise above normal. 

It's somewhat refreshing reading this. I've had issues with holding jobs before due to ptsd from abuse as a child and as an adult I was attacked and nearly killed. My skull was cracked with impact of the fall in the concrete but it was the subdural and epidural hematomas that almost killed me. Now thre years later I was getting angry and upset and it cost me my job. And my boss sorta used it against me. Ironically after coming back from stress leave and finally succumbing to the fact that I needed antidepressants now I'm stressed about being jobless or worse what if I do find a job and find myself in a similar situation? Not sure what's more scary not having a job or having one I think I'm going crazy help!!

Just had a severe concussion 4 months ago while on vacation in Mexico. It was pouring down rain and I slipped on the slick flooring that these resorts install to make the places look nice. Anyhow, my fiance came to look for me after I did not return from going to the bathroom. I was in a pool of blood after falling and splitting my head open on the marble flooring. I was told I was unconscious for around 15-20 minutes and do not remember the events preceding the fall or around 6 hours after. I am still having issues with remembering things that I should not be forgetting and the anger is ridiculous. I get mad over the most unimportant things and cannot control when it happens. I sometimes try and speak to friends and cannot pronounce the words I am trying to say and feel like a complete idiot and I am hoping they are not noticing. My fiance is about to leave me because she cannot handle the anger and me saying things that are hurtful. I don't know how long this will last and I hope it goes away soon. Best of luck to all of you.

I was struck by lightning and hit my head and was out for 10 minutes. I started getting angry, yelling at anything. My impulse was to hit and throw things. I was yelling at family for being to loud or laughing etc..just dumb stuff. Had a brain MRI but Nuerologist said he saw nothing that indicated a TBI. Funny cause I have bad word recall, draw blanks in the middle of my sentences, have dizzy spells, depression, was crying over nothing. I'm on depression meds now. They help out a lot. I'm wondering if the doc even knew what to look for?

I had a TBI 20 some years ago after being ejected through the rear window of a car...seat belt was broken. Meds and psychiatric visits followed. I was clinically broken for nearly ten years. I worked a few jobs but nothing lasting. Finally held down a job at an airport worked my way up to supervisor and then hit my head again under an aircraft landing gear door. It split my head open and it looked like a baseball with all the staples it needed to seal me up. After that I ended up having to quit I was very angry and deathly afraid to get near a plane again. 5 years later I now have a job at a dairy and have been off on stress leave twice due to the shifts changing and anger and drug problems. I'm now in a 12 week mental health program. And its calmed me down a bunch. Funny thing is meds were pretty strong slipped on the staircase twice and took two more concussion s. The anger came back and I'm fighting to get back to work. This is a hard battle and you must continue to fight if you give in which I know is so easy sometimes you may lose it all. I'm sorry for those that have lost everything already but its never to late to seek help, meds, Dr.s whatever you can reach out to. And don't forget to be grateful once a day for something. Stop and breathe just stop and breathe, we can change. I believe in you. And you should too. Everyone has a plan until they get knocked down. Remake yourself. Good luck and my thoughts are with you all tbi's suck bad but im gonna fight with my last breath for my family and for myself and friends. One last thing if you cant love yourself youll never be able to love anyone. We can do it- I can do this. We may not be our old selves. But we're still alive and can keep fighting. C.

I know exactly what you're going through! I suffered a severe TBI in 2007, but I was in a coma for 2 months as well though. I can honestly admit that life is a little better, but after almost 9 years I am still on an emotional rollercoaster ride; I lost my marriage in 2012 and have not been able to hold down a viable relationship since. I am at my wits end; my immediate family are back east and I am here in the prairies suffering somewhat quietly. I'm sorry that things are difficult for you, I can only say that I feel your pain. :( Please hold out hope; somehow I still do after all this time. Take care of yourself.

I crashed a quad 2 months ago. I hit a dirt embankment at approx 60mph. I dont remember anything after the impact or driving home after the crash. I had been laying on the ground unconscious for approx 20 mins. I walked into my house covered in blood and dirt. I had no idea what happened. Within 5 minutes I didn't even know I had been on the quad. I was asking my wife what happened over and over. Aside from my physical injuries which are healing, and BPPV. I have not felt like my self since. At times I have severe brain fog. Trouble finding words. Extreme emotional ups and downs. I obsess about things. I have severe anxiety and anger towards my wife. I seem to have no control over it. I feel extremely embarrassed after it happens. At times thoughts of suicide. I was depressed before the crash but nothing like this. My neurologist told me to expect complications nothing about the anger and anxiety. I had blood work done which revealed low b12 levels. This could be due to the stress. Also low cortisol from my adrenal glands. I was prescribed a handful of vitamins and supplements which have yet to make any changes in me. I am at a loss. Next stop is a psychiatrist. I'm going to lose my wife over this.

I had a severe brain injury that knocked me out for about an hour and a half. I would sometimes get angry before but recently I would get angry over very small mistakes. One of these times I walked down the street in winter wearing only a tank top and flood pants. I was walking in the middle of the road yelling at, and threatening every car or house that passed me forcing cars to drive around me while the unsuspecting drivers sped off.

My husband is so angry I can barely stand it anymore. The remote doesn't change the channel fast enough...rage! I laugh too loud or talk too loud...rage! I laugh at all or speak when not spoken to...rage! I walk around my home biting holes in my tongue to keep from lashing out. I can understand being angry at times but most of the time its for minor things. And of course it's all my fault. I'm so frustrated and I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave him but things are getting real ugly. HELP

Dallas, you take care of yourself. I've had 14 concussions and if I could go back to being 13 when I too had 2, I would have stopped playing hockey. I promise you'll heal and get back to normal from your 2 but don't risk your life to keep playing. Believe me when I say it isn't worth it. The more you get, the less of a person you seem to become and that anger amplifies and depression takes over. Never lie on your concussion protocol. Only ever go back when you're yourself again, that includes the memory and anger problems. Your life will round out to have so many possibilities other than soccer, so just remember that it isn't worth your life. Suicide may never be in your thoughts now but the more you get, the harder it is to hang on to people and enjoy your life and have clear thoughts and then the thoughts creep up on you even though the thoughts don't seem to be your own. Please be careful.

Hi im Dallas Gill, im 13 years old and i have sustained already 2 concussions. Both of which i sustained playing soccer. Soccer is my everything and it caused me more problems in my life than ever. After i suffered from the second one, i have tons of anger built up all the time. Please if you or someone you know has all this anger get help it can result it things that are un able to be taken back. I don't even remember some of the things i have supposedly done.

I suffered a concussion 8 months ago and my life has changed for the worse. Im 34 yrs old..I have angry outbursts all the time now..and my fiance just left me. I had to quit my job. I cry constantly. I try to take it day by day but the grief is SO thick, almost suffocating. I lost me. And so much more. No one understands because i look fine. Tired but fine. There isn't alot of help out there from doctors. . The best treatments I've found are fish oil, exercise, eating a clean diet, tumeric, making sure I get enough sleep (which never happens, I have an 18 month old) acupuncture, a therapist who knows about tbi, and I'm starting neurofeedback soon since I've heard alot of success with brain injuries. Worst thing to ever happen to me. I remember laying in bed next to my fiance just a week after it happened and I said "Im going to lose everything. I can feel it" and 8 months later I'm still watching it all slip away even as I put everything I have into trying to help myself and stop thus and turn it all around. I'm hanging on by my fingertips. I need a miracle

Last year l fell down a steep flight of stairs. My roommate found me semiconscious. I was admitted to the hospital for one week. There they said l had concussion from the fall.since then, I almost have recovered from stuttering , memory is much better, focusing is still a problem but one thing l wasn't expecting to be faced with is anger issues. Before the fall, l was quiet and calm and in control of my emotions. But now l can go from being calm to frighteningly angry in a matter of seconds. It scares me. I often get embarrassed. I don't like not having any control over my emotions. What l fear is that l could really hurt myself or anyone else should a confrontation arise. I'm scheduled to see a neurologist in a few weeks.

Interesting article. Anger like any emotion can be controlled. I have epilepsy as the result of a serious head injury in the Marine Corps. I had real anger issues at first and then I decided to do something about it. I found a job where anger was not only unacceptable but costly. I was a commission salesman for over forty years. I made an above average income especially during the last 26 when I was a stockbroker. And, no, I didn't hold it in. I replaced it.

My experience with anger, volatility and depression are related my brain injuries yes injuries. The guilt the shame at my behavior is absolutely crippling. What it has done to me and my family can never be taken back. If I just would have known but that's not possible since the old me is gone. I have tried to put in measures to gain space at times when I need it. But people who know but just see me standing in front of them and forget what I'm going through. I look normal, no 1/4 of my skull is missing. Some people love to push, and manipulate that is not a wise thing to do with someone who is trying to keep things constantly in balance as a way to survive. I am constantly trying to keep the demons at bay. Coming upon this site today may or may not help in the long term but in the short term it has reminded me of what I'm dealing with I too have forgotten. I often forget myself the path I am on until like today I search for reasons why? The good things that have come out of it, and there is good, I play music now, I take time to gather my thoughts or leave when I feel cornered. I'm thoughtful and considerate of other peoples situations and try to give people a wide berth. I have a better appreciation for my good days thou they maybe few. I wish i could remember what has happened to me sometimes. Haha i forget to remember auuggghhh! I have had to spend thousands of dollars because none of this was covered by car insurance Healthcare not a thing. I was diagnosed. I knew, something was wrong. I was never treated, simply put I was told there is no help. i love i care i live one day i hope to be alive.

I've come accross this website not knowing what I was looking for and just realised this is a condition. My brother had a quad bike accident and I found him by chance semi-conscious, jaw snapped in half, cut down the head a smashed ankle with his leg bone sticking out. I live 70km from nearest major town 0and took about 40mins for an Ambo from which he was eventually airlifted out. Luckily he recovered physically but the hardest part has been his anger, which till now I never understood. I took over a farm by myself at 19 & my brother came and lived with me at 15, we were always best mates and in business together. Now post accident he is very angry and blames me for every or anything that happens. And the rage, he was a very smart calm person. Everything we've worked for is kind of falling apart. I'm a bit overwhelmed to read other peoples stories that it lasts for years or forever. Sad to think that's it. If anyone can comment below on things they've tried or support. I'm very limited being far from a town and running my own business 7 days a week.

My partner has a frontal lobe injury from 20 years ago. He takes away household takes like cooking, cleaning - which he does well - THEN he feels overwhelmed and yells that he does everything. He absolutely refuses to let anyone help because we don't do things as he does. He's broken every door in the house, slammed every doorknob into the walls. He threatens to punch me, he has spit on me for not agreeing with him, he pushed me into the door yesterday because our car got broken into and he was convinced it was some guys from up the street but all that happened was someone threw our glove box contents around and I offhandedly said, "That sounds like kids." And he lost his mind for me not agreeing with him and it culminated with him slinging me by my arm into the back door and shoving me outside. He later will alternately claim he is sorry or I need to agree with him but it's always "an accident." 
I try to leave the room when he starts yelling and getting angry but he only follows me. I need some guidance for what to do here... is it time to cut my losses after almost 20 years. He's just getting worse and worse and completely blame me and our 10-year old son. 

I suffered a tbi 8 years ago. Spent some time on life support. Thought I was fine. Found a great woman who has twins and we had another baby. I watch as I have irrational outbursts with actions I cannot control. I scare myself. Want to check myself into the hospital. It keeps getting worse and I'm so confused. I want to bury a hole and hide in it forever. It's so hard. I have so many other traumatic things that have happened to me in my life time. Am I a monster or a survivor? Monster, evil, devil. All are words that describe myself. 3 months I lost my job, my family at home, and most of my support team is gone as well. Help

Anger after tbi is a huge problem for my family. My spouse, who was such a calm person before the car accident, has morphed into such an angry person who is so prone to yelling and screaming, often without provocation. I am not a fortune teller and cannot easily predict what will set him off. As much as I can provide a calm and peaceful home environment and as often as I try to be accommodating and cooperative, he still lashes out in anger. It's been almost 16 years since his accident and his anger is destroying our family. I don't think we'll be together for much longer and it breaks my heart. He was such a good person before his tbi and I miss who he used to be. My heart has been heavy ever since his tbi. It destroyed our lives.

Interesting!!!

My TBI was nearly 42 years ago. In the last ten years I have had increasing issues with anger, especially when I get frustrated after dealing with my children but at times it is with other issues. Six years ago I divorced my first husband. I still have times when he pushes my buttons. I know the intense anger is from the head injury. I just don't know what to do about it, how best to control it without feeling drugged.

(Responding to the previous comment "can it go away") My control difficulties are completely irrational. I feel as if the "real" me is an observer unable to stop what is happening. Initially, I dealt with the problem by trying to warn people I had difficulty in this area. That was a bad strategy. It worked part of the time, but was was just as likely to put others into a defensive mode that actually made it more likely I would loose control.

The strategy that worked was recognizing that my "anger" was actually an extension of the confusion I experience due to mental fatigue when I encounter too many things to think about, and I start feeling mentally drained. I can usually feel my thoughts slowing, but sometimes my first warning is noticing my speech is getting "thick." Slurred and slow speech and slow reactions (sometimes only discernable because other start talking over me, and not waiting for me to finish) are danger signals. 

When I recognize I am in that state, it is time to immediately withdraw. Unfortunately, many situations don't allow for sudden withdrawal. My solution was to never go anywhere alone, but to always have a "backup" person with me who understands my situation and can take over for me. For example, I take one of my adult children with me when I go shopping, and I do all of my decision-making before I leave to go shopping, going over my list and comparing it with the store's online specials. Then I shop as long as my thinking is clear, although I have had days in which I considered my thinking clear, but strangers were coming up to me and asking if I was "OK..." Obviously my self-evaluation of clear thinking is not always correct. (My kids took away my car two weeks ago...) 

When I become aware I am slipping into a confused mental state, I turn over control to one of my children, and they take over for me. That is how I avoid irrational outbursts. 
 

can it go away? or is it something permanent we have to learn to control?

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