Has your parent, spouse, or a close friend recently suffered from a stroke?
Have you noticed that they are having trouble sleeping, or they seem to be more anxious than usual?
If so, your loved one might be suffering from post-stroke PTSD.
“Strokes are the most common neurological disorder in the US. Approximately 795,000 people suffer from strokes per year, and 300,000 of them experience post-stroke PTSD.”
Don’t let your loved one suffer from the after-effects of a stroke alone. Let us show you how you can help your loved one cope after having a stroke.
Strokes and PTSD: Helping Your Loved One Cope
During a stroke, the blood flow to a person’s brain is disrupted. A person can suffer from a stroke due to two reasons:
A hemorrhage occurs when there is too much blood inside the cranial cavity.
Ischemia happens when there is not enough blood flow to the brain to supply the amount of oxygen and nutrients it requires.
“Approximately 80% of strokes are due to ischemia, and 20% are due to hemorrhage.”
Having a stroke is a frightening experience. Your loved one likely lives in fear that they will have another one — and the next one will be worse. Helping them cope with post-stroke PTSD symptoms is challenging, but manageable with treatment.
Let us show you how you can help your loved one cope with their post-stroke PTSD symptoms.
How to Spot the Warning Signs
Learning to spot the warning signs of PTSD is crucial. PTSD is a serious condition that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms and talk to your loved one if you’re concerned they might have it.
11 Symptoms of PTSD
- Re-experiencing/re-living the event feeling as though the event is happening again.
- The feeling of being cut-off from others.
- Being reluctant to discuss the event.
- Avoiding reminders of the event.
- Feeling hyped-up or restless.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Recurring nightmares.
- Irritability or angry outbursts.
- Isolating yourself from loved ones.
- Feeling helpless and afraid.
- Substance abuse or addiction.
Don’t wait too long to seek help for your loved one if you believe they might be experiencing post-stroke PTSD. Seeking treatment from a licensed physician is essential.
Your loved one needs help to manage their symptoms so they can continue enjoying life without the constant fear of another stroke looming in their minds. There are several different treatment options available for patients struggling with PTSD.
“What if my loved one refuses to talk to me about it?” you might ask. In that case, consider consulting an Aging Life Care Manager for help.
An Aging Life Care Manager can act as a mediator and help you convince your loved one to seek treatment if that’s what is best for them.
Contact us for a free consultation so you can get them the help they need.
Recommended Reading: Body Health: Four Surprising Facts About StrokeTalk to Your Doctor
As mentioned above, your doctor can assess the situation and recommend a course of treatment that is customized to meet your unique needs. PTSD is diagnosed after a patient has experienced symptoms for more than one month.
Symptoms that have lasted less than one month might be due to acute stress disorder instead. It’s crucial that a doctor assess your loved one to determine if they are experiencing post-stroke PTSD or another similar illness.
Treatment Options for PTSD Patients
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): this type of therapy involves making changes to the way you think about a situation and how it makes you feel.
- Talk Therapy: talking about a situation or phobia with the goal of putting them into perspective, so they don’t bother you anymore.
- Exposure Therapy: facing the situation and the memories that you’re afraid of in a safe way so you can cope with your feelings effectively.
- Antidepressants or Anti-Anxiety Medications: can help alleviate symptoms of depression or anxiety in PTSD patients.
- Prazosin: medication that can reduce or suppress nightmares in PTSD patients.
This is not a complete list of every treatment option available. Make sure your loved one talks to their doctor about the symptoms they have been experiencing.
Don’t forget to request a free consultation with one of our Aging Life Care Managers if you need assistance convincing your loved one to seek treatment.
Offer Your Support and Patience
Living with someone who has post-stroke PTSD can be stressful. You want to support them and make them feel better, but you don’t know how. Try out some of the tips below to help your interactions go more smoothly.
11 Ways You Can Offer Support
- Let them guide the conversation. Don’t pressure them to talk about it if they don’t want to.
- Be an active listener, and don’t try to give them advice unless they ask you for it.
- Don’t give them ultimatums, threats, or demands.
- Resist the urge to tell them everything is going to be ok or that they are lucky it wasn’t worse.
- Participate in “normal” activities together to help them take their mind off the stroke.
- Accept their feelings and don’t take angry outbursts personally. If they say something mean out of anger, It’s the PTSD talking — not your loved one.
- Stay positive and be patient with them. They are doing the best they can.
- Create a routine to help establish a sense of stability and security.
- Minimize stress as much as you can and give them space when they need it.
- Encourage them to seek help from a licensed physician.
- Encourage them to attend a support group so they have a safe place to talk about their feelings with others who can relate to their unique situation.
Find a Support Group
Support groups are excellent resources for patients with PTSD and their caregivers. It helps to talk about your experience with others who can relate to what you’re going through.
Listening to stories of others who have faced the same situation can give you new ideas on things you can try to help. What have they been doing to cope with their symptoms? What has helped them, and what hasn’t? Listen, learn, and test out their techniques for yourself.
Encourage your loved one to attend a meeting and seek out a caregiver support group for yourself. Your needs are just as important as theirs. You can’t help them if you are emotionally drained and burnt out yourself.
Check with your local hospital or search the Aging Life Care website to find support groups in your area.
Do you live in the Sandhills area in North Carolina? Visit the following page for a list of support groups: Sandhills Area Support Groups.
Don’t see a support group that meets your needs? Contact us, and a member of our team can help you find one.
Recommended Reading: Strokes & PTSD: A Serious ConditionConsult an Aging Life Care Manager
Do you believe your loved one is suffering from post-stroke PTSD, and they refuse to seek help? Forcing them or pressuring them puts a strain on your relationship, and we don’t recommend doing that. You need to be a source of safety and support for them.
An Aging Life Care Manager is trained to assist seniors and their families with all aspects of aging. Strokes are a common occurrence, and depending on your unique situation, your loved one might need more care than you can easily provide.
Severe strokes often cause paralysis in patients. Paralysis symptoms might be mild, but they can be pretty severe. Physical therapy could be required, and they might need assistance with performing daily tasks or activities. An Aging Life Care Manager can help with all of this and much more.
Services We Provide
- Assessment and evaluation of your situation.
- Consultations and mediation with family members.
- Counseling and support.
- Assistance with paying bills.
- Intervention during a crisis.
- Personal care coordination and care plan development.
- 24/7 assistance via our on-call program.
This is just a shortlist of the full range of services we offer our clients. You can view our full list of services here: AOS Care Management: Is it time to consider a Professional Care Manager?
“Jennifer is a tremendous asset to have at your side. I can’t imagine successfully having worked through the situation with my wife without her. She frequently comes up with ideas and suggestions for what seem intractable issues, and her positive personality helps greatly in tough times. If something important happens outside normal hours, she regularly gets involved even when she is not the “on-call” person.”
Don’t let your loved one struggle with post-stroke PTSD for too long. to speak to a member of our team and get the help you need today.
“Going with AOS and having Amy Natt as our care manager is the smartest arrangement I have made regarding my husband’s and my senior years. Amy has guided us and been with me during several medical emergencies. She knows how to operate the ins and outs of a hospital environment and is able to handle any problem. She also attends doctor’s appointments with us and keeps dots connected so that nothing falls through the cracks, which is a great comfort. Care problems that arise in your daily home care are smoothly resolved.”
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Life over 50 is complicated. From illnesses to general aging-related difficulties, there's a lot to learn and a lot to cope with. We understand and we're here to help answer questions and provide guidance on your options.