Stroke changes your life and it can change it dramatically but with a proper life style and advice many people can go back to their usual activities.
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Now, brain injury due to stroke is a very serious condition and it can change the way the patients move, feel, speak or even think.
Obviously, those conditions are greatest right after the stroke and for the most people they diminish over time.
For every patient it is important to know that although it seems that recovery is something that will never happen, it will. Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months or years, but it is important to know the condition won't stay the same.
Different people will react to stoke differently and they need a helping hand on their way to recovery. Generally speaking, they may need speech therapy, physical therapy and strength training, occupational therapy, or psychological counselling.
Since stroke does some damage to the brain, some functions may be impacted and it is necessary to work on them and speech is most probably the first thing any patient should work on.
There is a condition called aphasia when the survivor has speech problems, finding a right word or understanding what has been said.
In essence, the patient should ask for help because he must learn again how to communicate, how to use words, learn and write.
This is also a huge psychological problem because many people get angry at themselves and feel helpless because they can't do what they think it's the simplest thing: to speak. But speech is a complex function and we just think it's easy because we speak every day and without even thinking about it.
Since stroke can cause problems with movement, especially when one side of the body experienced paralysis which is common in stroke patients, physical therapy can help the patient to regain strength, coordination, balance, and overall control of all movements.
This is important for everyday life because it lifts that "I depend on others" feeling and it is necessary if the patient wants to go back to work.
While at work, one should have in mind that work after stroke is possible; the only question is what kind of work. Some people will recover completely and some will have to find another position in the same company, while some will have to change the job completely. In any case, the work is possible.
If the recovery went well, and the patient has the control over his body, a bit of learning may be needed: maybe to learn old skills again, maybe to recover some memory how things are getting done, but step by step that can be relearned.
And now we came to psychological counselling. Since stroke can cause changes in the brain, it can change how the patient thinks and behaves. In other words, it can change the personality. Since the brain is a tricky thing, there could be some depression, anxiety, frustration, or anger.
It is important to treat those conditions immediately and work closely with the doctor to get back on the track as soon as possible. Why?
Because some conditions are treated with drugs and it's never a good idea to rely on medicines for too long, and, if it is possible, the goal should be life without drugs.
Other conditions are following those that we described. For example, after a stroke, you can't drive.
Many people will return to a driver's seat with time (check the rules in your country because in some of them you can't drive until your doctor says you can, and in some the first month after a stroke is absolutely forbidden), so patience and time are important here.
Sex life can also be impacted because if you can't control your movement, the chance is you won't be an ideal sex partner.
So, take step by step. First speech, to be able to express how you feel, then body control, then everything else. Take is slow and you'll see the progress sooner than you think. ■