Does Mel Gibson potentially have a brain injury?

We've all read the headline news about athletes and their unrelentingly agressive behavior on and off the field. Particularly disturbing is when the aggressive behavior continues at home and affects a lot of innocent people. O.J. Simpson comes to mind.

In Charlotte, NC, we experienced the confrontation between Chris Henry, the 26-year-old NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals, and his fiance, the mother of his three young children. Desite warnings from his team, Chris continued repeated unlawful behavior including perhaps the possession and use of illegal substances, repeated traffic violations and domestic violence.

Upon his death after falling from the bed of a pick-up truck driven by his fiance who was trying desperately to get away from him, his brain was sent for evaluation by a team of university researchers. Clearly he died from head trauma as he fell from the truck.

What was revealed by the researches at the Brain Injury Research Institute of West Virginia University is that he suffered from chronic traumatic brain encephalopathy injury caused by multiple violent hard hits to his head throughout his short career.

Also disturbing is the fact that he had never been diagnosed with a concussion.

We need to acknowledge all athletes are in danger of head injuries, some sports more than others, and ensure the proper treatment of any injury that occurs. When we see repeated aggressive and unmindful behavior by athletes, take action to reveal the true picture — before any more innocent lives are lost.

We also need to be aware of the effects of a head injury that could result in abnormal behavior such as emotional or abusive rants. There are many medical reasons that cause individuals to behave irrationally such as hormonal imbalance, reactions from medication or side effects. I don't know, I am not a medical doctor, but common sense tells me that if you know someone or are dealing with abnormal behavior yourself, you should get medical attention immediately – your body may be telling you something!