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How Can a Brain Injury Affect Social Skills?

After a brain injury, people may have problems with social skills. These problems can differ from person to person and can be harder to manage when feeling strong emotions, such as anger or excitement.

Common examples are:

• Feeling out of place and uncomfortable around other people
• Interrupting conversations
• Losing focus during a conversation
• Forgetting what someone has said
• Misunderstanding the words, facial expressions, tone of voice, or actions of others
• Difficulty getting along with others
• Talking too little or too much
• Having trouble expressing thoughts and feelings
• Not showing interest in what others have to say
• Not knowing how to start or maintain a conversation

For Families and Friends

Interacting with someone who has had a brain injury may require you to adjust your own social skills or the environment. For example, give the person more time to process what is being said and give them time to respond.

Limit the amount of information you communicate at a time.

Pay attention to the topic being discussed and the person’s reactions: Do they affect the person’s emotions and/or cognitive function? If the person seems fatigued or overwhelmed, wrap up the conversation.