Depression after stroke – mood swings and emotional disturbances.
Aleksandra Mielnik
neuroterapia.eu
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The effects of a stroke touch various areas of a person’s life
The effects of a stroke touch various areas of a person’s life: the motor and cognitive spheres, but also the emotional and social ones. On the one hand, emotional disturbances after a stroke can result from damage to the brain structures responsible for controlling how emotions arise and are expressed, which we describe in more detail in our article on how a stroke affects emotions and mood. On the other hand, they can be a reaction to the sudden loss of health and to the difficulty of adapting to a new situation. The most common psychological changes after a stroke are depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability, impulsiveness and pronounced mood swings.
Depression after a stroke affects as many as one in three patients. Its presence reduces the effectiveness of neurological treatment and has an adverse effect on the course of rehabilitation after a stroke, because it lowers psychomotor drive and the motivation to make an effort. Depression also worsens psychosocial functioning and can heighten concerns linked to cognitive impairment. Symptoms may appear immediately after the event or only after weeks or months.
Another common consequence of a stroke is apathy. It occurs about as often as depression and shows itself as reduced activity, a drop in psychomotor drive and a lack of motivation to take action. The patient may seem listless, passive and indifferent to what is going on around them. They also often lose their previous interests.
Mood swings after a stroke
Mood swings, also called emotional lability, mean difficulty in controlling emotions and moving easily from low spirits to joy, and sometimes even euphoria. The way emotions are expressed can seem out of keeping with the situation. Even a minimal trigger can bring on a burst of tears or, less often, of laughter. The patient is often aware that their reactions are exaggerated but is unable to control them.
Such bursts of crying can easily be mistaken for depression, although at times they have no direct connection with it. They arise from the reduced ability of the nervous system to control the expression of emotions, so that crying becomes a reflex rather than a proportionate response to external events.
Emotional disturbances after a stroke may be accompanied by changes in personality. As a result of a stroke, the patient may become more impulsive, impatient or irritable, or on the contrary more submissive and withdrawn. Most often what is seen is an accentuation and intensification of existing traits.
How to cope with emotional and personality changes after a stroke?
Neuropsychological rehabilitation, as a comprehensive form of support, aims not only to improve or restore lost cognitive functions but also to help the patient adapt to life after a stroke. We explain in more detail how neuropsychological rehabilitation can help a person after a stroke. The therapist’s task is to assess the resulting disturbances in the context of their causes and to help the patient develop strategies for coping with emotions or personality changes. Well-conducted therapy can allow the patient to regain greater control over their life and to function better socially.
Sources
- Seniow, J., Poudarowe ogniskowe zespoły poznawcze w kontekście rehabilitacji.
- Harciarek, M., Jodzio, K. (2005). Charakterystyka wybranych zaburzeń emocjonalnych po udarze prawej półkuli mózgu. Roczniki psychologiczne 8/2005 (2), 55-71.
- Kot-Bryćko, K., Pietraszkiewicz, F. (2012). Psychologia w medycynie. Część 1 – deficyty poznawcze u osób po udarze mózgu. Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu, tom 18, nr 4, 340-343.
- Wichnowicz, H. (2008). Depresja poudarowa – zaburzenie biologiczne czy psychopochodne. Udar Mózgu, tom 10, nr 1, 40-48.
- Author: Aleksandra Mielnik
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