Strokes and depression are very closely related. In fact, it has been shown that a high percentage of those who suffer a stroke will undergo some form of depression, whether moderate or severe afterwards.
Depression can strike anyone, but people with serious illnesses such as stroke may be at greater risk. Thus, getting appropriate diagnosis and treatment of depression is important to the persons recovering from a stroke and improvement of their medical status. Often simply enhancing their quality of life, will aid in their recovery and in reducing their pain and disability. What better way to enhance the quality of life than to treat depression.
Treatment for depression also can shorten the rehabilitation process, lead to more rapid recovery and resumption of routine, and save health care costs.
Stroke occurs in all age groups even to fetuses still in the womb; but three-fourths of strokes occur in people 65 years of age and over, making stroke a leading cause of disability in older persons.
Over 730 thousand Americans suffer from a stroke each year. This is a staggering number, but even more staggering is the fact that an estimated 10 to 27 percent of those experience major depression, and 15 to 40 percent experience some symptoms of depression, all within 2 months following a stroke.
Those two months are crucial to the recovery of the patient. If the patient can get started on the right foot, and get on the road to recovery faster, they will recover faster. Thus, if the person is struggling with depression it should be recognized and treated immediately.
The average length of time that stroke victims have major is just under a year.
So, what affects the severity of the depression a stroke victim may face?
– the location of the brain lesion
– previous or family history of depression
– pre-stroke social functioning.
While these three areas can not be controlled, what can be controlled is whether or not the depression is treated. Despite the enormous advances in brain research in the past 20 years, depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Many misinterpret depressive symptoms as an inevitable reaction to the effects of a stroke. However, it is important to distinguish the difference: depression is a separate illness that can and should be treated, even when a person is undergoing post-stroke rehabilitation.
If you are unsure if your loved one’s reactions are depression or normal post stroke behavior, ask your health care specialist, they should know the difference, however, the following are some of the symptoms of depression to look out for:
Symptoms of Depression
– Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
– Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
– Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
– Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
– Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
– Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
– Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
– Appetite and/or weight changes
– Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
– Restlessness, irritability
The key is that some of these symptoms happen to everyone, but if the persist, and if they occur frequently each week, then the person likely suffers from depression. So what can you do? Get Treatment for Depression!
Depression affects mind, mood, body, and behavior. There are many different treatments for depression, thus, what treatment is best for you should be carefully chosen by a trained professional based on the circumstances of the person and family.
Recovery from depression takes time. Some antidepressant medications can take several weeks to work and may need to be combined with ongoing psychotherapy. Everyone is different and thus, not everyone responds to treatment in the same way. If you do not see any results, ask your doctor about this, it may be that prescriptions or dosage may need to be adjusted. Just remember, depression is a treatable disorder of the brain. Depression can be treated in addition to whatever other illnesses a person might have, including stroke.