A Question About PTSD, TBI, and Adultery

I received a question right before Memorial Day.  Because of the very serious nature of the questions, I wanted to take the time to think deeply about it, consult some friends, and answer the questions as fully as possible.  Here's what she said:

I have a question I am a spouse of a OEF/OIF veteran, he is still active duty we are currently separated and we have endured a living hell my family and I the last four years. i am baffled does mild tbi have anything to do with adultery my husband did not have affairs or act violent towards me up until two years ago he gradually got worse? 

TBI and Changes in Personality:
There is so much that isn't known about the long-term effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries.  We are only now starting to feel the repercussions for NFL players, let alone for our service members.  What does seems to hold true is that the more severe the brain injury, the more likely it becomes for moderate to severe personality traits to manifest over the years following.  Additionally, there seems to be some compounding factor.  If a person has multiple m-TBIs, the effects appear to be cumulative over time.  I am not an expert on TBI and am not a doctor, so aside from relating to you the little I know, I will refer you to the experts on these types of injuries.

PTSD, Adultery, and Abuse:
This is a very complex issue as well and one that you don't directly mention.  Regardless, I feel compelled to address the possibility of PTSD being a major contributing factor.  Having TBI makes a person more susceptible to behavioral disorders such as PTSD.  When someone is suffering from PTSD, a person can feel an inability to connect with loved ones.  As a result, some turn to adultery as a way to deal with this.  From the guys I have talked to about this, they all say the same thing:  They don't want to be intimate with their spouses because they don't feel like they can connect with them.  Also, many have stated that it is safer to be intimate with a stranger who they don't care about because they CAN open up and if it scares the other person, they could care less.  At least they are not hurting their loved ones.

I know that rationale is convoluted.  I know it doesn't make any sense, but based on my experience and my conversations, it's classic avoidance of confronting their trauma and their PTSD.  I can't speak for your spouse.  There are so many individual factors that make this equation more true or less true for each person.  Only your spouse knows the truth of this.

As for the abuse, I can't speak for the TBI side of the equation.  That may play a factor.  As it stands with me, abuse demonstrates an conscious choice to hurt others, a conscious choice to let anger get the better of you and to visit your trauma on someone else.  If there is a medical reason for the personality change and loss of impulse control, that's one thing.  Regardless, I find the act of abuse, repulsive and reprehensible.  First and foremost, look out for your welfare and your family.  You can't effectively confront abuse if you are still subjected to it.

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I hope that this has given you some insight.  I need to repeat, I am not a doctor or health professional.  I can only share with you the knowledge I have gained from personal experiences dealing with my own PTSD.  I wish you the best of luck in confronting these issues in your own life.  If there are any follow-up questions you may have for me, please let me know.

Yours in Health,

Max Harris