Stroke Recovery: Emotional and Behavioral Changes
Stroke Recovery: Emotional and Behavioral ChangesAll stroke survivors have one thing in common: their lives will be changed forever in some way. About a yearand a half after her stroke, Lori Murphy’s psychologist gently told her the truth.“She told me in so many ways that ‘Lori, you’re not the same person that you were.”Because of Lori’s deficits she had to relearn how to walk. She had to change from being a career woman livingon her own, to moving in with her parents and depending on them due to chronic pain. She had to redefineherself from being a Benefits Consultant to her new identity as a Pet-Sitter.“Just because these things have been taken from me doesn’t mean that they can’t be replaced withsomething different, or who knows, even better.”“Stroke is a very life changing event. It causes dysfunction in the brain that affects all aspects of life.Even people who have a good physical recovery can still have emotional or communication or socialproblems.”Some emotional and behavioral changes are due to the area of the brain injured by the stroke. Brain injury canmake people forgetful, careless, irritable or confused. Other changes arise from the side of the brain that’sbeen injured.“People who have experienced stroke on the right side of their brain often have trouble with awarenessof their impairment or their deficits, and that may lead to impulsive behavior. It may lead to impairedreasoning and judgment. They may want to do things that really are no longer safe for them. Becausethey’re not aware of their limitations they proceed on like they have before.”Survivors may not consider consequences of their actions, so caregivers may need to remind them to slowdown and remove clutter that could cause a fall.Some things they may want to do but can’t, include driving or walking without an aid such as a cane or walker.People with left-brain injury may experience different emotions: They may be more self-conscious of theirdeficits; May be more reserved than they were before their stroke; And may tend to avoid social situations.A condition known as Pseudobulbar Affect, or PBA, may occur when the parts of the brain that controlemotions are injured.“PBA is an emotional expressive disorder where a person may have brief periods of crying, laughter orperiods of anger. They may last seconds to minutes. They’re very difficult to control and if a strokesurvivor has PBA they may have to arrange their entire life around it.”Depression can also occur after a stroke.“Depression was a really big deal for me. I really struggled with that for a really long time. It wasn’t untilrecently that I really got a good grasp on it.”Depression can set in right after the stroke or months later, but it should be treated as soon as possible by apsychiatrist or a primary care doctor.Signs of depression include: Persistent sad, anxious or negative mood; Loss of interest in hobbies or activities;Feelings of guilt or worthlessness; Persistent fatigue; Restlessness and irritability; Insomnia; DramaticAppetite/ weight changes.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG50944B EN StrokeRecoveryEmotionalAndBehavioralChanges.pdf© The Wellness Network / American Heart AssociationPage 1 of 2Stroke Recovery: Emotional and Behavioral Changes“The stroke itself can cause depression so people can get depression due to the brain injury. Butcertainly, the limitations and the changes it causes in their life as well can cause depression.”Behavioral and emotional changes can be challenging for the caregiver as well. This is understandable andexpected. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help.“It’s very easy to forget about your own routine and to take care of yourself and that’s very importantbecause you can’t take care of somebody else if you don’t take care of yourself.”As a caregiver you may need to seek help for yourself in the form of a support group for stroke caregivers. Askfriends and family to help with various tasks or by coming by to give you a break.“They also should encourage for the survivor to be as independent as possible. To let the strokesurvivor, do as many things as they can and be as independent as possible. It may take them a little bitlonger to get dressed but it shows the stroke survivor that they can do things for themselves.”Lori has the support of her family, and as a result, the confidence to continue pursuing her dreams despite herstroke.“I had someone ask, they said, ‘If I were you Lori I would be balled up in a corner,’ and I said ‘Yeah, Ihave that choice but what kind of life is that to live.’ So that’s a choice you can make but it’s not onethat I want to make.”To learn more about what to expect in the first few days immediately after a stroke, view Stroke Recovery:Living with Disability After a Stroke.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG50944B EN StrokeRecoveryEmotionalAndBehavioralChanges.pdf© The Wellness Network / American Heart AssociationPage 2 of 2
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