Absolutely, and this is something patients and families are often surprised by. Brain injury can directly affect the areas responsible for regulating mood, impulse control, and emotional processing. That means irritability, anxiety, sadness, or feeling "not like yourself" can be neurological symptoms, not just a reaction to the injury.

Common emotional changes we see include:

• Increased irritability or a shorter fuse than usual
• New or worsened anxiety, especially around driving or crowded spaces
• Low motivation or flat mood that feels different from typical sadness
• Emotional responses that feel bigger or smaller than the situation calls for

Naming this as part of recovery, rather than a separate issue, helps families understand what they're seeing and helps us build a treatment plan that addresses the whole picture.

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