Emotional Stress

Dear Joyce, 

From time to time, I become emotional and feel like crying or am impatient after my stroke, which causes a lot of stress. Will those feelings go away? 

Signed,

Emotional 

Dear Emotional, 

Remember that crying, impatience, and stress are typical early on. My stroke is 11 years old, and for the first 2 years, I had those same emotions. They’re part of the grieving process that we all go through as stroke survivors, and will become less and less in time.

Establishing a one-on-one relationship, preferably with another stroke survivor who’s not “new” to the game, could be beneficial. Keep in mind that stroke survivors just can’t be rushed into a support group setting because someone else thinks it would be a good idea. 

When discussing your question, another stroke survivor in the Northwest Brain Network said that it helped him to focus on things he gained before stroke--such as job experience or hobbies, rather than the challenges after stroke. 

Just the fact that you are aware of those feelings points to success!