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Feeling depressed
Many people feel sad after a stroke, but gradually start to feel better.
But sometimes unhappy feelings and anxious thoughts don't fade. These natural feelings can turn into depression.
Lots of people get depressed after a stroke. This can happen even months and years after the stroke.
Different events can trigger off depression:
- the end of therapy
- a family trouble or celebration
- the anniversary of the stroke.
But sometimes depression occurs very quickly after the stroke.
It can be one of the effects of the damage to your brain caused by the stroke.
If you are depressed, you may:
- lose your appetite or lose weight
- feel sad, tearful or anxious all the time
- have difficulty sleeping
- feel closed off from those around you
These are signs of depression. Depression can last a long time.
If you can't talk very well, it can be difficult to tell other people that you are depressed.
What you can do if you feel depressed:
- Sometimes it can help to talk about what is making you feel sad. It can make you feel better if your friends and family know how you feel. But it's difficult to do this if you have aphasia.
- Having aphasia can make you feel cut off and lonely. So it may help to try and meet with others in the same situation.
- Some people find that talking to a counsellor helps. They prefer to talk to someone who isn't too close to them.
- Anti-depressant drugs can make you feel less anxious and sad and help you to sleep. But they can take two or three weeks to start working.
Getting more help
Other people who have aphasia
- Can be comforting and reassuring
Speech and language therapist
- Can help you to express what you are feeling to your family and others
- May have counselling skills
Your doctor
- May prescribe some medication or put you in touch with a counsellor or other forms of help
Connect - the communication disability network
- Has counsellors with personal experience of aphasia
- Has counsellors trained to help people with aphasia
(020) 7367 0840
16-18 Marshalsea Road
London
SE1 1HL
Different Strokes
- Can give you a list of counsellors in your area
(0845) 130 7172
9 Canon Harnett Court
Wolverton Mill
Milton Keynes MK12 5NF
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Produces a directory of organisations and individual counsellors
(0870) 443 5252
1 Regent Place
Rugby CV21 2PJ
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