Difference between psych problems and brain injuries?

Question

I'm seeing a psychiatrist, counselor and memory drs. how can i discern
between psychiatric problems and confirmed brain abnormalities? They
all seem to overlap. Major problems are extreme mood swings (mostly depressive), borderline personality disorder, altered personality, math., etc. (I was beaten for 40 years). My multiple psychiatric diagnoses exhibit strongly or softly most of the time, & I just learned yesterday some of what the brain abnormalities (frontal and parietal lobes,
I think she mentioned temperal lobes also) are reflecting. e.g. I remember what most of what I read but not what I hear. Please, can u differentiate for me? I'd be grateful for ANY information. THANK YOU!1

boogeywoogy · Accepted Answer

Psych problems such as a change in personality and decreased attention, reasoning, insight, mood swings, loss of interest and motivation (abulia), disinhibition (impulsivity) and judgment are largely due to traumatic brain injury to the frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex. Memory problems are due to temporal lobe injury. Math, comprehension of spoken language, and praxis (intentional movement and thought) problems are parietal lobe damage.
Impulsivity and mood swings in your case are no doubt due to the brain injury, However, mood swings, depression  and impulsivity can also be due to mental illness, if you have a pre-injury diagnosis of these symptoms. If you weren't this way before the injury, it's due to the injury itself.
The borderline personality disorder was there before the injury-- it is not injury-induced.

Brandon · Answer

Psych problems are due to chemical imbalances or when parts of the brain don't respond normally due to genetics of some sort (like diseases).

Brain injury is when your brain doesn't work normally due to brain trauma (concussion, etc.).

That's what I know, may be wrong though.

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Difference between psych problems and brain injuries?

2 Answers