7 Diseases that can change your personality

Have you noticed a sudden change in personality of your loved one? It could be due to some underlying health condition. Read on to know more.

By: Guneet Kaur | | Updated: July 9, 2019 5:07 pm

Diseases like stroke or thyroid can change the person you are. © Shutterstock

People change. How many times have you heard that? But if you see a loved one suddenly behaving out of character, you are bewildered. This change in personality can be tough on you. We usually think we will feel or act a certain way throughout our life. But as we become mature, we start to see certain changes in behaviour and mood. You might become more aggressive or more passive. These changes are gradual and are associated with your own personality. However, sometimes situations and circumstances may completely change your outlook. At times, certain medical conditions may also lead to a change in personality. But, these are all induced changes. And, don’t worry, your real personality is still there somewhere. You can easily get it back by treating the associated disorders. Here, we talk about a few health conditions that can cause a change in personality.

Thyroid

The thyroid gland is in our neck. This is responsible for the production of thyroid hormones. Sometimes, it may not function properly and produce too much or too little hormones. Excessive production of thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism and decreased production is called hypothyroidism. This gland controls how our body uses the energy and affects the functioning of our other organs including the heart.

If you are going through hyperthyroidism, you might feel irritable, anxious, aggressive and have mood swings. And, if your body doesn’t produce enough of these hormones, then you might have memory issues and experience lethargy and tiredness. If this condition is left untreated, it affects the functioning of the brain and causes major change in personality.

Make your life easier: If you or a loved one have this disorder, remember that regular tests and check-ups are a must. Take your medicines on time and never ever miss a dose.

Traumatic Brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is caused by external forces like an accident or violence. Such injury is impact related. It can change the way we process things or understand information.

Such injuries can bring about a change in personality. If the injuries have damaged the connections that go from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system, it can affect your emotional reactions and the understanding of information. These changes may be permanent or temporary.

Make your life easier: It can be treated but some effects may be life-long. Since, memory issues are common here, try and keep things at the same place. And you can also use stick-on notes to remember things.

Parkinson’s

In Parkinson’s disease, the nerve cells responsible for the production of dopamine in the brain gradually break down or die. When the production of dopamine decreases, it causes abnormal brain activity leading to symptoms like tremors (mostly hands), slowed movement and difficulty in balancing.

Parkinson’s eventually affect how we walk, talk or sleep. Even in its early stages, people either start obsessing over little things or suddenly become careless. And, in later stages, patients become absent-minded. People with Parkinson’s cannot keep their thoughts centred for long

Make your life easier: With Parkinson’s, your actions become slow, so always keep emergency numbers ready near your landline or mobile phone. Also, if you have anybody in your family with this condition, be patient and kind. They can’t help the mistakes they make.

Stroke

Stroke is a medical condition in which the blood supply to brain is cut off or interrupted. As a result, the supply of oxygen and nutrients is also cut off. This leads to the death of brain cells. This condition is treatable and the number of deaths due to stroke has significantly come down in recent years.

This can cause a change in personality as well as emotions. After a stroke, existing personality traits become exaggerated and people sometimes behave out of character. They become impatient and irritable and exhibit aggressive behaviour. They have serious mood swings or act more impulsively.

Make your life easier: You can go for therapy sessions, depending on your need. It could be speech therapy, physical therapy or occupational therapy.

Multiple Sclerosis

It is a disease that affects the brain, eyes and spinal cord. In this condition, the immune system starts eating the protective covering of nerve fibres. This causes disturbances in communication between body and brain. The symptoms of MS vary from person to person but mostly include, blurry or loss of vision and fatigue or difficulty in coordination.

In some cases, the patients feel euphoria. The feeling of happiness is unrealistic and does not fall in line with the real conditions. This happens due to cognitive impairment rather than a mood swing. Apart from happiness, the patient may cry uncontrollably without reason.

Make your life easier:Write down what you’re feeling in a diary.This will not only help you channelise your emotions and feelings, but also help your doctor understand the condition better.

Brain Tumour

When abnormal cells accumulate and form a cluster, it is called a tumour. Normally, as we age, old cells die, and new ones are formed. But sometimes this cycle is disrupted, which leads to the growth of dead cells inside the brain. Most of the times, the tumours are non-cancerous but still can cause other serious threats to our body. It can damage the cells around it as it puts pressure on the tissue underneath, around and also inside the skull which causes inflammation. The main symptom of brain tumour is headache. And some other symptoms include issues related to memory, balancing, inability to concentrate and personality changes

Personality changes are seen mostly if the tumour is formed in the frontal lobe of the brain as it controls emotions, personality traits and memory. The pituitary gland that secretes hormones is located near the frontal lobe and a tumour here can lead to excessive or under secretion of the hormones, which effects our emotions and causes a change in sex drive. A person may become more suspicious or paranoid and mood swings and aggression are generally seen in people with tumours in the frontal lobe.

Make your life easier: Speak to your doctor if you notice these changes. The sooner you treat the tumour, the better it is for you. Also, many emotional shifts can be treated with medication.

Schizophrenia

This is a disorder that usually strikes between the age of 16-30. It can change how a person behaves or thinks. People with this disorder are mostly out of touch with reality. Schizophrenia also causes hallucinations.

Change in personality, in this case, is gradual. In the early stages of the disease, you might not be as social as others and hallucinations may make you do things that are unlike you. Your actions become unpredictable.

Make your life easier: You must ensure that the patient is getting enough sleep. This will result in a positive mood and healthy body. Also, if you are a caregiver, encourage your loved one to be more social and meet more people.

Published : July 9, 2019 4:57 pm | Updated:July 9, 2019 5:07 pm

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