Change in Personality
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Change in Personality test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Try one of these related symptoms.
Change in personality
Outbursts of sudden anger
Sudden personality change
Personality and behavior change
Becoming extremely angry for no good reason
Suddenly becoming aggressive
Suddenlly exhbiting a different personaility from a short period before
Sudden episodes of anger
About the Symptom
Anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, other psychiatric and neurological conditions can alter one's personality.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Personality change
Possible Causes
Generally, Change in personality can be related to:
- Dissociative Disorder
Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.
- Schizophrenia
A psychotic disorder characterized by disturbances in thinking (cognition), emotional responsiveness, and behavior, with an age of onset typically between the late teens and mid-30s. Hearing voices and/or believing things that aren't consistent with reality are common symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors are likely responsible.
- Frontotemporal Dementia
A group of disorders involving the progressive loss of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain (behind your forehead and ears). The brain shrinks and loses function in the affected areas. It can be caused by several conditions that are not fully understood. A family history of dementia increases the risk.
- Adjustment Disorder
- Progressive Subcortical Vascular Encephalopathy
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (AIDS-Related PML)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Change in personality may be related to these serious diseases:
- Encephalitis / Encephalopathy
Encephalitis and encephalopathy are brain conditions that can result in permanent damage. Encephalitis refers to brain inflammation, while encephalopathy is a broad term for any brain disease or disorder. Several causes can lead to these conditions, including infections, trauma, metabolic problems, drugs, and lack of oxygen to the brain.
- Epilepsy
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Do you feel your personality has changed?
- How has the change in personality affected your daily life?
- Do you become aggressive for no particular reason?
- Is there a sudden change in personality?
Reviewed By:
Weston S. Ferrer, MD (Psychiatry)
Weston Ferrer is a physician leader, psychiatrist, and clinical informaticist based in San Francisco. With nearly a decade of experience in academia and more recent immersion in industry, he has made significant contributions to the fields of digital health, health tech, and healthcare innovation. | As an Associate Professor at UCSF, Weston was involved in teaching, leadership, and clinical practice, focusing on the intersection of technology and mental health. He recently led mental health clinical for Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), where he applied his expertise to develop innovative solutions for mental healthcare using the tools of AI/ML, digital therapeutics, clinical analytics, and more.. | Weston is known for his unique ability to innovate and support product development while bringing pragmatism to technology entrepreneurship. He is a strong advocate for patient-centered care and is committed to leveraging technology to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. |
Yu Shirai, MD (Psychiatry)
Dr. Shirai works at the Yotsuya Yui Clinic for mental health treatment for English and Portuguese-speaking patients. He treats a wide range of patients from neurodevelopmental disorders to dementia in children and participates in knowledge sharing through the Diversity Clinic.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
Tell your friends about us.
We would love to help them too.
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Change in Personality quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Personality is different all of a sudden
- Personality changed
- Rapid change in personality
- Personality change
Find Similar Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms from similar body parts
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
FAQs
Q.
Personality Changes? Why Your Frontal Lobe is Struggling & Medical Next Steps
A.
Personality changes tied to the frontal lobe often show up as impulsivity, poor judgment, apathy, or loss of empathy and can stem from head injury, stroke, brain tumors, frontotemporal dementia, mental health disorders, substance use, or treatable thyroid, vitamin, or metabolic problems. Seek emergency care if changes are sudden or come with weakness, slurred speech, seizures, or severe headache, and otherwise arrange a prompt medical evaluation since early diagnosis and treatment matter; there are several factors to consider, and the full list of red flags, tests, and treatment options is detailed below.
References:
* Rademakers R, Eriksen N, Van Swieten JC. Clinical Spectrum of Frontotemporal Dementias: A Review. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Sep 1;75(9):1154-1163. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.1565. PMID: 29892695; PMCID: PMC6143004.
* Soltani M, Soltani J, Najafi Z, Vahabi S. Frontal Lobe Syndrome: Neuropsychological Profile, Assessment, and Rehabilitation. Arch Neurosci. 2023 Apr;10(2):e133373. doi: 10.5812/ans.133373. Epub 2023 Apr 29. PMID: 37409210; PMCID: PMC10313174.
* Masley S, Gillanders D, D'Mello M, Zafonte RD, Bogner J. Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Critical Review. Front Neurol. 2020 Feb 28;11:115. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00115. PMID: 32174965; PMCID: PMC7058252.
* Stuss DT, Levine B, Shallice T. Assessment of Executive Functions: Historical Perspective and Current Approaches. Handb Clin Neurol. 2022;186:141-152. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-823377-5.00008-8. Epub 2021 Oct 27. PMID: 34844621.
* Krueger F, Barbey AK, Grafman J. The Prefrontal Cortex and Personality: From Executive Functions to Social Cognition. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2013 Dec;15(4):419-30. PMID: 24466005; PMCID: PMC3898687.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1