Understanding the Relationship between Brain Injuries and Depression
A traumatic brain injury can cause a wide range of symptoms. While many of the effects of a brain injury are immediately apparent, or felt shortly after the injury is incurred, some can develop much later. Depression is a common symptom of a brain injury. Some brain injury victims experience depression shortly after their injury, while others develop the condition months or years later.
Brain injury attorney Hardin R. Ramey has represented countless victims of traumatic brain injuries. He understands the seriousness of brain injuries resulting in depression. Our legal team is ready to help clients at our Dallas, TX, firm fight for compensation for all damages of a brain injury, including those linked directly to depression.
How Common Is Depression after a Brain Injury?
The brain acts as the central operating system of the entire body. This means that the brain not only plays a role in how a person processes ideas and performs physical functions, but also the way a person feels and handles emotions. If a traumatic brain injury occurs, any or all of these functions can be impacted.
Depression can develop at virtually any time following a brain injury, so it is difficult to collect data for exactly how many brain injuries lead to depression. However, numerous studies have been conducted to study the link between brain injury and depression. It is commonly estimated that close to half of all brain injury victims experience depression within a year following their injury, and more may develop depression in the years following.
Why Does a Brain Injury Increase the Risk of Depression?
It is not always clear why some brain injuries lead to depression and others do not. What is known is that a brain injury can increase the risk of depression in several different ways.
First, a brain injury causes damage and physical changes to the tissues of the brain. If injuries develop in areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling mood and emotion, the physical changes in those tissues can result in depression.
Second, a brain injury can dramatically change a person’s way of life by compromising cognitive or physical functions, or both. As people adjust to the various symptoms of a brain injury, they may experience symptoms of depression, including persistent sadness and hopelessness.
Finally, some people are genetically more susceptible to depression. If someone is already prone to depression, or has struggled with depression in the past, a brain injury can trigger a depressive episode.
Damages Linked to Depression
Brain injuries are most often the result of an accident caused by reckless or negligent behavior. When someone else is responsible for a brain injury, they should also be held accountable for the damages that the injury incurs. A brain injury alone can lead to physical, emotional, and financial damages. When clients at our our Dallas firm also experience depression from a brain injury, they are likely to suffer additional damages, which may include:
- Expense of cognitive therapy
- Costs of medication
- Lost wages
- Emotional suffering
Set up a Consultation Today
If you or a loved one is the victim of a brain injury that has been caused by another person or party, attorney Hardin R. Ramey can help you collect the compensation you are due for resulting damages. To discuss your injury in further detail, send us a message anytime or call our Dallas, TX, law firm at (972) 437-5577 to schedule a consultation.