Stroke patients may show aggressive behaviors including hitting or hurting others, kicking, biting, grabbing, pushing, throwing objects, etc. Their verbal behavior also includes cursing, screaming, making noises, hostile muttering, etc. This overt aggression is observed usually during the acute stage in patients.
Frustration at not being able to do things for yourself can build up and make you angry or even aggressive towards others. Fatigue (tiredness that doesn't improve with rest) is common after a stroke. Fatigue can make someone avoid social situations, or become irritable more easily.
Of the 145 stroke patients studied, 32% described an inability to control anger or aggression up to a year after their stroke. Sometimes the emotional eruptions occurred spontaneously and without provocation, and in other cases a family member may have prompted the unusual response.
Combative or aggressive behavior after stroke is a negative secondary effect frequently observed in survivors, especially in the acute stage of recovery. This can be a temporary phase or, in some cases, can be long-lasting and a sign of damage to specific areas of the brain.
Having a stroke can affect your emotions and personality. You may laugh or cry for no reason. These changes can be hard to adjust to, especially for those closest to you. Emotional and personality changes can get better with time.
First and foremost, it can help to remind yourself that a stroke survivor's anger is often not directed at you but rather at their limitations. Even if the person is reacting in a way that is hurtful to you, try your best to practice empathy for the survivor and also practice compassion for yourself, too.
A stroke changes life for the survivor and everyone involved. Not only do survivors experience physical changes, but many experience personality changes ranging from apathy to neglect. Some survivors just don't seem to care about anything. The best response to apathy is activity.
Do not let that person go to sleep or talk you out of calling 911. Stroke survivors often complain of suddenly feeling very sleepy when a stroke first happens. “A lot of patients come in and say they went to sleep for a few hours before they came to the hospital because they were tired,” Dr. Humbert notes.
Memory problems, poor attention span, or difficulty solving problems. Visual problems. Depression, anxiety, or mood swings with emotional outbursts. Difficulty recognizing limitations caused by the stroke.
You may get angry more often after you've had a stroke. It can be linked to many things, including your feelings of grief, loss and frustration about your stroke. It can also be linked with changes in the brain making it hard to control your emotions.
After surviving a stroke, a stroke survivor may become less empathetic towards others. Empathy is the ability to see things from another person's perspective. Empathy is especially important when it comes to understanding how another person is feeling.
Overall, it's important to understand that stroke recovery naturally has an ebb and flow. If you experience rapid, sudden worsening of stroke secondary effects, then it's time to seek medical attention immediately. But if changes are smaller, it could just be the natural process of recovery.
Recovery time after a stroke is different for everyone—it can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people recover fully, but others have long-term or lifelong disabilities.
First-Stroke Patients' 5-Year Survival Rates Study
Of the surviving patients, 60 percent who suffered an ischemic stroke and 38 percent with intracerebral hemorrhage survived one year, compared to 31 percent and 24 percent, respectively, after five years.
Even after surviving a stroke, you're not out of the woods, since having one makes it a lot more likely that you'll have another. In fact, of the 795,000 Americans who will have a first stroke this year, 23 percent will suffer a second stroke.
Previous studies emphasized that one of the strongest factors of being discharged home or not is the living situation [i.e., if a patient lives alone or with a family (3–5)]. Stroke survivors often require the assistance of family caregivers to cope with their physical, cognitive and emotional deficits at home (6, 7).
Midazolam (a benzodiazepine) and droperidol (antidopaminergic) have both been shown to be effective and cause a reduction in aggression quickly.
The causes behind aggressive behavior can include (but are not limited to): Fear, anxiety, stress. Unmet physical needs (hunger, silence) or emotional needs (recognition, love) Traumatic experiences.
Stroke impacts the brain, and the brain controls our behavior and emotions. You or your loved one may experience feelings of irritability, forgetfulness, carelessness or confusion. Feelings of anger, anxiety or depression are also common.
A review of studies published after 1980 shows alarmingly high post-injury divorce rates ranging from 48% to 78%. There is little doubt that brain injury can strain marriages. Spouses often take on many of the injured person's responsibilities, though they may have little experience with their new responsibilities.
After six months, improvements are possible but will be much slower. Most stroke patients reach a relatively steady state at this point. For some, this means a full recovery. Others will have ongoing impairments, also called chronic stroke disease.
Relationship problems
Other things can affect intimacy, like communication difficulties and low mood or anxiety. Having a stroke can affect your confidence and self-image. You may both find it difficult to talk about how you feel, because you think you should 'stay strong' for your partner.